


Road Trippin'

by Agido6



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Eventual Fluff, F/F, Horror Elements, Jeongmo best friends, Mihyo best friends, Nayeon and Mina are stubborn as hell, School Meal Club (TWICE), Supernatural Elements, Urban Legends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:48:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 50,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28836579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agido6/pseuds/Agido6
Summary: It looked like it was shaping up to be yet another tedious summer. That is, until Mina invites eight of her friends and acquaintances on a road trip across the States, to record and document different urban legends. At the very least, they were getting a free vacation, right?Except...Jeongyeon and Tzuyu are the definition of skeptics.Nayeon and Mina can't stand each other (Supposedly).And how is Dahyun going to deal with the supernatural if she can't even properly talk around Sana?
Relationships: Im Nayeon/Myoui Mina, Kim Dahyun/Minatozaki Sana
Comments: 224
Kudos: 269





	1. On The Road Again

The sharp buzz of her phone against the nightstand pulled Jihyo unceremoniously from sleep. Groaning, she rolled over in bed, pushing off the blankets, and squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe the caller would take a hint if she didn't answer. 

The buzzing paused, and then started up insistently again. " _Damn it."_ Jihyo muttered, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes before snatching at the phone. It was a goddamn weekend, and anyone who knew her would know she liked to take weekend mornings for herself. She glanced at the screen and grumbled incoherently under her breath before answering. 

"Can I _help_ you?"

"Aw, did I wake you?" Mina's bright tone spilled into her ear from the other end, and Jihyo sighed, flopping back onto the bed and throwing an arm across her eyes. 

"Yes. Not that you care."

"You can sleep any time. But this thing I have to tell you about can't wait." There was an undertone to Mina's voice, an unusual excitement that Jihyo usually didn't hear from her. She was the calm, practical one between them, often needing to bring Jihyo back down to reality when she got too lost in the clouds. 

"Alright, I'm listening." Jihyo mumbled. Mina took a quick breath. 

"So you know how my parents have been trying to get me to try new things and experiences for months?" 

Jihyo smiled to herself as she agreed. Mina was the most homebody person she knew, and her parents were constantly asking her to go out, to do this art show or try this new place almost every day. They were concerned about her social skills, but it wasn't exactly that Mina was antisocial. She just gravitated towards a certain type of person, and was very protective of her private space. If someone invaded that space, Mina shut them out. It was a miracle that Jihyo and Mina had made their friendship work as long as it had. 

"Well, last night they came in my room and made a proposal. They know how fascinating I find supernatural things, and as of late, urban legends. So they made a deal with me: they'll bankroll a road trip across America for me to do all the research I want on some of their urban legends."

"Seriously?" Jihyo sputtered. Mina's family was loaded, so she really shouldn't be shocked, but offering to transport her across America just to get her outside seemed a little extra. 

"Yup." said Mina eagerly. "But, there's a couple requirements. One, I have to properly document everything I come across to prove I'm actually researching and discovering, and two, I have to bring a team with me." 

Jihyo sat up, all traces of exhaustion fading away and excitement replacing it. "You're inviting me, right?" Only last night she'd complained for a solid 15 minutes to Mina that this summer was going to be absolutely boring, and she wanted to do something memorable, something exciting. "Maybe you will." Mina had said unhelpfully, and immediately turned back to her game. That little _sneak._

"Duh. And I'm inviting Sana, Momo, and Chaeyoung too. Chaeyoung's got great camera skills, and Momo is always working on editing, so I thought she could take charge of the documentation. Sana's smart as hell, she'll definitely be helpful. Plus, I'd never hear the end of it if I left her behind." 

"Probably not." Jihyo laughed. 

"Do you know anyone who's got skills we could use for this?" Mina asked. 

"Tzuyu and Jeongyeon are pretty smart. Although, they're both hardcore skeptics, which might clash with your goal." Jihyo mused. 

"My parents will probably say that's a requirement to keep me grounded." Mina replied with a snort. "What about someone with videography experience? I'd prefer to have more than just one person who knows what they're doing."

"Well..." Jihyo hesitated. Truth be told, one person came to mind right away. But there was just one teeny little issue with her...

"Yes?" Mina prompted. Jihyo cleared her throat. "Yeah, I do. It's all good." _Hopefully._

"Great! Listen, I have to go and work out the details with my parents, but I'm going to have a meeting going into further detail at my house this afternoon. Think you can come over, and bring your friends?" Mina asked excitedly. Jihyo swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her heart warming at how enthusiastic Mina seemed. It'd been a while since she'd heard her this fired up about anything.

"Yeah, no problem." 

"Good. See you then. Around 2 works." 

"2 it is. Bye, Mina." Jihyo hung up and stared at the phone for a while, working up the nerve to do what she was going to do. _The worst she can say is no,_ Jihyo reminded herself. She took a deep breath and dialed. The phone rang for a bit, and then Nayeon answered with a groan.

"Jihyo-ah, it's barely 9:30." 

"Yeah well, I got woken up early too, so you can suffer with me." Jihyo replied airily. Nayeon muttered under her breath and then yawned. 

"What do you want, then?"

"I've got a business opportunity for you. Something to do with videography." 

"Really?" Nayeon's tone changed immediately. She was the most genius videographer Jihyo knew, working herself into the ground to capture the perfect shots and footage. Her Canon EOS 5D camera was her pride and joy, having bought it herself after saving for over a year. 

"Really." Jihyo promised. "A friend of mine is going on a road trip across America to document different urban legends and other supernatural stuff, and wants a team to go with her. I thought maybe you'd want to be one of the camera people? You're the best I know." 

"Hell yeah I do! I've run out of cool things to work on here, and I've been dying to test some of my new equipment out. Who's the friend?" Nayeon asked keenly. Jihyo swallowed uncomfortably. _The worst she can say is no._

"Mina."

Silence. 

"Hello?" 

"Are you fucking serious? That prissy little-"

"Nayeon!" 

Okay, so Nayeon and Mina couldn't stand each other. That was a _small_ complication, Jihyo would admit. Yes, Nayeon thought Mina was a stuck up rich girl, and Mina thought Nayeon was utterly immature and incapable of taking anything seriously. They only tolerated each other for Jihyo's sake. 

"I can't do that. We'll fucking tear each other apart in two days. And she's always got such a stick up her ass about _everything._ She'll probably just tell me how wrong I am and how incompetent I work, and I've had enough of that to last a lifetime. No thanks." Nayeon snorted. 

"Nayeon, you're going to be invaluable to her." Jihyo pleaded. "You've got exactly what she needs, and she's not going to be able to ignore that once we're on the road, and she sees what you're capable of with the right equipment." 

Nayeon didn't say anything, but Jihyo could sense she was thinking it over, and pressed on. "Plus, she's inviting Sana and Chaeyoung, and I'm going to get Jeongyeon to come with. There'll be people to run interference if it gets heated, and you and Chaeyoung work well together." 

"Jihyo..." Nayeon sighed. 

"Just come with me to her house later? She's having a meeting to talk out the finer points, and you can decide there." Jihyo implored. More silence, and then another dramatic sigh from Nayeon's end. 

" _Fine._ But just to see if she's actually taking it as seriously as you say she is." 

"Awesome. I'll pick you up at 1. I gotta get Jeongyeon and Tzuyu too, but I think this is gonna be a great step for you." said Jihyo cheerfully. Nayeon had actually given in a lot quicker than she thought she would. She must really be excited to get out on the road. 

"Not if Ms. Holier-Than-Thou is involved." Nayeon muttered. 

"Nayeon..."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll see you at 1." 

...

"Her house is kinda _swanky."_ Jeongyeon declared from the backseat. Jihyo pulled to the curb in front of Mina's...well, closer to a mansion than a house, really. She heard Nayeon snort from beside her, and fixed her with a pointed look. 

"Don't start. We're here to be _civil."_ Jihyo reminded her. 

"Scout's honor." said Nayeon sarcastically. 

"Is everyone ready?" Jihyo asked, turning to the backseat, where Jeongyeon, Tzuyu, and Tzuyu's friend Dahyun sat. She didn't really know Dahyun, but the two of them and Chaeyoung were inseparable, and Tzuyu had assured her that Dahyun had the perfect journalistic expertise for this trip. 

"Ready as I'll ever be. Can't wait to see inside the McMansion." said Jeongyeon brightly. "Nayeon, stop being such a downer." 

Nayeon muttered something under her breath as they filed out of the car, Jihyo rapping on the front door smartly. _Here we go..._

A couple beats passed, and then Mina was standing in the doorway, beaming. "Welcome, guys! Hey Jeongyeon, and you must be Tzuyu? And I don't know you..."

"Dahyun. I'm a friend of Chaeyoung's and Tzuyu's." said Dahyun with a smile. Mina smiled back. 

"Nice to meet you, Dahyun. And-"

She broke off at the sight of Nayeon standing there with her arms crossed over her chest, looking stony. 

"What is _she_ doing here?" Mina asked, glaring at Jihyo. Nayeon snorted again as Tzuyu and Dahyun exchanged glances behind her. 

"Believe me, _princess,_ it wasn't my idea to come here. You want someone to point fingers at, take it up with our dear friend Jihyo." 

Jihyo elbowed her in the side as Mina's eyes narrowed even further. "Don't call me princess." she snapped. 

" _Enough._ Nayeon is that friend I was telling you about, okay? She's got exactly what you need for the trip." Jihyo assured Mina. She was leaning away from them both, just in case either lost it and it got ugly. Thankfully, both were also very stubborn, and Mina finally stepped aside to let them in with a dramatic sigh. _Honestly, she and Nayeon are just like each other._

"I hope you know what you're talking about, Jihyo." 

"Wow." said Dahyun, glancing around the front entrance with wide, impressed eyes. "Your house is _super_ nice." 

Jihyo was used to the high ceilings, the expensive art on the walls and the gleaming marble pillars, the tasteful glass tables and polished floors, but Dahyun's excitement made her appreciate it with fresh eyes. Mina's parents took great pride in their home (even if they were hardly there to occupy it) and the fancy cream-and-lavender carpet rolled out to the living room, the chandelier hanging over the walkway, the glow of the soft yellow lights along the walls...it almost seemed like a palace, instead of a family home. 

"Thank you." Mina smiled, pointedly looking anywhere but at Nayeon. "Everyone else is in the front room. You guys mind slipping off your shoes and then joining us?" 

Jeongyeon, Tzuyu, and Dahyun chatted animatedly among themselves as they complied, following Mina into the living room, where Jihyo could hear raised voices. She looked worriedly over at Nayeon, who was examining the chandelier distastefully. 

"Look, Nayeon. I really think this would be a great opportunity for you. You'll get all kinds of exposure you would never have here, and it's not like it'll be just us and her. Keep an open mind, please?" Jihyo asked softly. Nayeon gave her a sour look, but finally groaned and took her shoes off, tossing them next to the others. 

"Okay, fine. For my art. But I don't know if I'll be able to prevent myself from making snarky comments whenever she speaks to me."

"No. You can't mock her."

"But-"

Jihyo silenced her with a look, and Nayeon rolled her eyes before they entered the living room themselves. Mina was kneeling on the floor next to a large plastic black and yellow case, sorting through things. The others had joined Sana, Momo, and Chaeyoung on the couch and loveseats strewn across the room. Sana glanced up at their entrance and squealed excitedly. 

"Jihyo-ah! Finally! I thought you would never get here."

Jihyo chuckled as she settled onto the couch beside Momo, who was discussing something heatedly with Jeongyeon. "Sorry we're a little late. What are you guys up to?"

"Oh, Dahyunnie was just telling me about her latest project. It's really fascinating." said Sana brightly, turning to pat Dahyun's arm, who immediately flushed, her cheeks becoming an adorable shade of pink. _Dahyun likes Sana?_ Jihyo wondered. _And they're both going on this trip? Interesting..._

"Okay, is everyone here? Great. Thanks for coming." said Mina, straightening up from the plastic case to perch on the edge of Chaeyoung's chair. "So, I'm sure you're all curious as to what I had to tell you. This is the situation."

Jihyo watched the others as Mina restated her parents' proposal. Chaeyoung and Momo were instantly eager, rambling at top speed about the footage they could get. Dahyun looked intrigued, but remained quiet as Sana spoke to her, that blush never leaving her face. Jeongyeon and Tzuyu looked dubious. 

"You seriously want to drive across the US to chase rumors and hearsay? Come on Mina, you really believe in ghosts and shit?" Jeongyeon asked scornfully. Mina glanced at her. 

"I believe that there's more to the world than what meets the eye. And getting to document that, to have the time to pick it apart and analyze it, what better way to check that?" Mina replied casually, but Jihyo could see a hint of a challenge in her eyes. 

"Sure, whatever." Jeongyeon shrugged. "I'm up for coming along. I'm a pretty great driver, and all good ghost hunting teams need a skeptic."

"We aren't a ghost hunting team, but thank you, Jeongyeon." Mina looked around the room, a sense of authority emanating from her. Pride surged through Jihyo. Mina was at her best when she was in her element, and she could tell that the others were impressed too. Even Nayeon was forgetting to keep up that mocking expression. 

"My parents allowed me to purchase whatever equipment I needed for the trip. Here are the materials we'll be using." Mina knelt down over the case again, beginning to stack things on the glass coffee table. Everyone leaned forward as she placed a headlamp, a heavy duty flashlight, a fixed camera, a camcorder, and a couple smaller objects Jihyo didn't recognize down. 

"Wow." said Jeongyeon admirably. "You really are loaded, huh?" Mina didn't answer, continuing like she hadn't spoken. 

"For the ones doing the documenting with me, this is our bread and butter. You've got headlamps, a flashlight if necessary, a Nest Cam Indoor security camera, a Bell & Howell camcorder with night vision, and then these." Mina picked up one of the smaller objects, which looked a little like a grey walkie talkie, except it had a tiny screen and buttons on the front.

"A digital thermometer in case we do come across a spot that may contain a spirit, and a digital voice recorder that goes down to 40 HZ." 

"And these." Mina patted the plastic case. "Pelican air cases to transport all our stuff."

"Holy _shit,_ this is cool!" Chaeyoung interrupted. "I'm definitely in. I just need to run home and grab my tripod. And-"

"Hang on, Chaeng." Mina laughed, touching her shoulder lightly. "We won't be leaving for another week, if you all decide to come. We need to buy the plane tickets to land in California, as that's where we'll be starting from." 

"I call being the designated driver." Jeongyeon declared. 

"So...is everyone in?" Mina asked. There was a collective chorus of assent, everyone chattering as Chaeyoung and Dahyun leapt up to examine the equipment. Jihyo chuckled under her breath when Dahyun jumped a foot in the air as Sana touched her back. 

"What do you think?" she whispered to Nayeon. Nayeon bit her lip, staring longingly at the camcorder, and eventually let out a deep, affected sigh. 

"It's...impressive. And some of that equipment...." she trailed off. Jihyo knew she had her. She leaned over to peck Nayeon's cheek and ruffle her hair. 

"We'll have fun, you'll see! And Mina will grow on you."

Nayeon gave her a scathing look as they rose to their feet. Mina was handing out cases to each person, looking particularly happy. "One for you. I'll see you later, yeah?" Mina asked Jihyo, sliding a case to her. 

"Definitely. I'll come back over when I drop them all off." Jihyo promised, jerking a thumb over her shoulder at her bustling friends. 

"Great." Mina seemed to collect herself, and then slid the last case to Nayeon. "I suppose I'll be seeing you on the trip?"

Nayeon paused, considering the case and then Mina pensively. Jihyo's heart thumped unevenly as she walked over the front door to wait for her. _Please don't let her rile Mina up again._

"Guess you will." Nayeon eventually said, grabbing the handle. Mina looked as surprised as Jihyo felt, and walked her to the door. "Uh, right."

Just before Mina shut the door, Nayeon got that _look_ in her eyes, and Jihyo internally groaned. 

"Well, until we meet again, _princess."_ Nayeon said sweetly. 

The door slammed in their faces and Nayeon burst out into laughter. Jihyo sighed resignedly as they went down the steps. "Are you going to act like this for the entire summer?" 

"Maybe." said Nayeon cheerfully. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very excited about this one, I spent a lot of time researching and deciding which urban legends to focus on, and I settled on 20 different states. There'll be lots of spookiness, but also some fluff and moments outside of that atmosphere. And maybe we can get a certain few people to fall in love along the way
> 
> First stop is California!


	2. California, Show Your Teeth

**_Whittier, California_ **

**_12:00 PM PST_ **

"We made it!" crowed Momo as she hopped eagerly from the Chevy Suburban Mina's parents had provided. Jihyo climbed out more slowly, taking in the humid atmosphere, the pale blue sky, and the looming glory of Pacific Palms Resort above them. Jeongyeon shut the drivers' side door with a loud bang, and came around to the trunk. 

"What an _ordeal_ that was." she grumbled. Ordeal was about the right term, Jihyo thought as the others clambered out, grabbing their luggage and conversing excitedly. The plane ride had been all right, but in the hour it had taken to drive from the airport to the hotel, Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon had gotten into three fights over the music. Momo had made Jeongyeon pull over twice so she could get good 'opening footage', and Nayeon had almost thrown Sana out of the car when Sana ate her snacks without asking. It was like traveling with kids. 

"Does everyone know who they want to room with?" Mina asked, pausing at the entrance with her hand on the door handle. 

"Me and Jeong are roomies." Momo chimed in, slipping her arm through Jeongyeon's, who merely sighed and nodded. 

"I'll room with you, Mina." Jihyo offered. 

"Dahyun and I always go together. Sorry, Tzuyu." said Chaeyoung. 

"I'll room with you, Tzuyu!" Sana chirped. Tzuyu shrugged, looking indifferent, and Dahyun looked disappointed. 

"Guess that means you get to sleep in the car, Nayeon-ah." said Jeongyeon, clapping Nayeon on the back. 

"No, no, there's an extra room. It's covered. You're the lucky single, Nayeon." said Mina. Nayeon hoisted her bag up further, shrugging. "Works for me." 

Twenty minutes later, the rooms were situated, and Jihyo couldn't help being yet again awe-struck at the strings Mina's family could pull. The rooms were almost as nice as Mina's mansion. "Your parents were dead ass serious about this one, huh?" Jihyo mused as she shoved open the curtains over the windows, taking in the view of the city below. 

Mina hummed. "We're only staying in each state for a couple days at best. I guess the money doesn't matter to them." She ran a hand through her hair and sat down on the edge of her bed, focused on texting. Jihyo flopped on the other bed and stretched appreciatively over the soft blanket. 

"Tonight's going to be our first outing. We need to decide who's coming and who's staying." Mina explained after Jihyo eyed her phone questioningly. 

"Where's the destination?" 

"A spot called Turnbull Canyon." Mina answered. 

"And what's so _spoooky_ about Turnbull Canyon?" Jihyo wiggled her fingers at Mina, who merely smiled and laid back against the pillows. 

"You'll find out if you come with."

The others trickled in, slowly but surely, until Chaeyoung was the last one, shutting the door and hopping next to Mina on the bed. 

"All right, everyone, tonight is our first video. I'm going to a hiking area called Turnbull Canyon, but I don't need everyone to come along on each trip. So aside from Momo and Chaeyoung, who are a necessity, who else would like to come on this one?" Mina asked. 

"I'm in." Jeongyeon said, peering out the window and letting out a whistle of admiration. "Although I'll tell you right now, I doubt we're going to find anything besides a trail and some wildlife."

"And me." said Nayeon casually, leaning back in her chair and meeting Mina's eyes. Mina looked briefly annoyed, but to her credit, she didn't sigh or roll her eyes like Jihyo knew Nayeon would have. 

"Well then, it'll be the five of us. The rest of you can enjoy the resort. Explore a little, if you like." Mina looked back at the others. "I don't think we'll need the thermometer, but make sure you've got your flashlights, and voice recorders just in case. Chaeyoung and Nayeon, do you know which cameras you want to use?" 

Chaeyoung nodded eagerly. "Those camcorders look fantastic. And I brought my own camera."

"Yup, I'm set." said Nayeon, and she _did_ seem like she was actively trying to keep spite out of her voice. But, this is what her nature became once she locked onto a job. She was professional and focused from the moment she took on work, to the second it ended. Even if it was for someone that annoyed her as much as Mina. 

"In that case," Mina set an alarm on her phone and laid it aside. "We leave at 8:00. Now go, shoo, prep." She waved a hand at them. 

When they had shut the door behind themselves, Jihyo glanced curiously over at Mina. "You and Nayeon didn't insult each other once. You feeling okay?" 

Mina shrugged as she began to unpack her clothes, setting them out on the bed. "Like you said, she's got the skills I need, and I can put aside my personal feelings to get our work done."

Jihyo chuckled as she reached for the TV remote. _They're more alike than they're ever gonna admit._

**_Pacific Palms Resort, 8:00 PM PST_ **

Dahyun sighed as she picked up the clothes Chaeyoung had left strewn across the floor. In her eagerness to get going, she'd left a total fucking mess in their room, and Dahyun couldn't imagine this would change at all over the course of the summer. Maybe she should've interrupted Chaeyoung to room with Tzuyu after all. Of course, Tzuyu wasn't who she _really_ wanted to stay with, but- 

A rapid knock on the door made Dahyun jump, dropping the shirt she was holding. "Just a minute!" she called, shoving the rest of Chaeyoung's clothes in her suitcase without folding them. Chaeyoung could deal with the wrinkles herself.

Upon pulling the door open, Jihyo, Tzuyu and Sana stood on the other side. "Hey guys." Dahyun greeted, trying to ignore the way her pulse sped up when Sana smiled at her. 

"Dahyun-ah, Jihyo wants to go explore the resort a little. Do you mind if we go off?" Tzuyu asked. Dahyun scratched the back of her neck. 

"Um, I'll be alone?"

"No silly, I'll be here!" Sana said brightly. Dahyun shot Tzuyu a pleading look, but Tzuyu just gazed back at her innocently. 

"I'd ask you to come, but I know how terrible your jet lag is after traveling, and I thought-"

"Just go." snapped Dahyun, feeling a traitorous flush heat her neck as Sana and Jihyo looked at her curiously. 

"Right. Well, we'll be back. Have fun, you two!" Tzuyu said cheerfully, waving at Dahyun over Sana's shoulder before disappearing down the hall with Jihyo. Sana looked down the hall after them, giving Dahyun enough time to take a deep, calming breath, and then Sana smiled at Dahyun again. 

"I saw a really nice patio area outside." said Sana. "I thought it'd feel good to go out there and see what it's like. Better than being cooped up in here all night...are you okay, Dahyunnie?" 

A night time stroll with the one and only Minatozaki Sana. The Minatozaki Sana Dahyun had had a crush on for months. Nope, Dahyun was totally fine. She could handle this. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. That sounds great. Just let me..." 

She stepped into the hall, grabbing the key card for the room at the last moment and taking one more deep breath before shutting the door. 

"Great! Shall we?" Sana offered Dahyun her arm, and Dahyun bit the inside of her cheek hard. _Don't freak out, don't freak out, keep your cool._

Once their arms were linked, Sana began rambling about the plane ride, about what she thought Turnbull Canyon might be like, about the fanciness of the resort. Dahyun honestly tried to keep her concentration, but Sana was so _close_ and every nerve in her body was at attention whenever their sides brushed or she caught a whiff of Sana's scent. _This is all Tzuyu's fault. When they come back-_

"Dahyun?" 

Dahyun blinked, suddenly aware that Sana had paused at the doors to the outdoor patio, and was giving her a strange look. "You sure you're okay? You've responded to like one thing I've said." 

"Yeah, I'm good. Really." She casually wormed her way away from Sana, who looked almost disappointed, and pushed open the doors. "Wow..."

Sana hadn't been lying. The setup out here was gorgeous. There were a few palm trees stretching up towards the indigo colored sky, encircled by stones, and several black tables facing a dark, enclosed lagoon, with soft orange lights every few feet along the edge of the pavement. 

"This is really nice." said Dahyun softly, stepping out to observe the water. 

"I thought you'd like it." Sana replied, striding over to a table and pulling out a chair. She patted the top. "Come sit." _Keep your cool,_ Dahyun reminded herself sternly as she obliged. 

Sana pushed it in for her, then took the seat on the opposite side, looking out towards the gently rippling water. "It's a shame we'll only be here a couple days." she murmured, tapping her fingers absently against the tabletop. "There's so many things I'd like to see."

"Do you like to do photography too? I was kind of curious why you agreed to come along." said Dahyun, intrigued. She'd been equally terrified and exhilarated when they'd arrived at Mina's house and seen Sana there, but been so excited that they were going on a trip together that Dahyun hadn't paused to consider exactly what it was Sana brought to the table. 

Sana chuckled a little, propping her chin on her hand and looking back at Dahyun. "Oh no, I'm kind of useless behind the camera. Nowhere near as good as Nayeon-ah, or Momo."

"But that wasn't what I asked." Dahyun countered. She wasn't sure where this boldness was coming from, but it was probably a combination of pure adrenaline from being alone with Sana, and a genuine interest. She'd pined for Sana from afar for quite a while, tripped over her own thoughts at seeing her fantastic smile or the way she looked so good even in casual clothing, but Dahyun never really took the time to get to know the girl behind her infatuation. 

Sana paused, a brief hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, and then smiled. "You're quite right, Dahyunnie. Do I _enjoy_ it? I like capturing beautiful moments, certainly, getting to preserve them at the exact time I see them. With photography, people can almost exactly observe the world the way I see it, even if only in a single capture. And that goes for other people's work as well. I'm really looking forward to seeing Momo's documentary at the end of this trip, to see how _she_ observed the trip in her own image." 

She shifted, eyes flickering over to the water again. "As for why I came on this trip, Mina invited me, and there was no way I was gonna let her, Momo, and Jeongyeon have all the fun without me." Sana trailed off with a snort, her nose wrinkling adorably. _Oh fuck. She is way too cute. Keep your cool, Dahyun._

"If...if you want, I could teach you more about photography." Dahyun offered, and almost clapped a hand over her mouth. Her, teach Sana? Sure, she knew her way around a camera for journalism projects, but she was nowhere near Chaeyoung's level. And how exactly was she going to handle being that near her all the time? Before she could withdraw the statement, Sana's gaze had brightened significantly. 

"Really? You wouldn't mind, on top of everything else you need to do?" Sana asked eagerly. Dahyun grinned despite herself. Sana's constant optimism was catching. And she almost seemed eager to do it _because_ of Dahyun...nah. 

"This stuff's like second nature to me by now. It really wouldn't be a problem." Dahyun replied. Sana squealed and drummed on the table enthusiastically. 

"That would be amazing, Dahyunnie! When-"

"Oh, hang on." Dahyun interrupted. There was a strand of hair sticking to Sana's lower lip, and it was driving her rather crazy. She reached out without thinking, flicking it away, her finger brushing Sana's mouth. 

Then she froze. 

Her finger had grazed Sana's lip. Her very full, very warm bottom lip. Dahyun shrank back, her heart pounding erratically as Sana swallowed. "Thanks, Dahyunnie." she said quietly. If Dahyun didn't know better, she would think Sana's tone was a little uneven. 

"You know, there was another reason I wanted to come on this trip." said Sana, almost inaudibly. Dahyun couldn't understand the shift in atmosphere- from the cheekiness of before, suddenly it felt...thicker. More intense. 

"Um, what would that be?" Dahyun said distractedly, watching the way the hair slipped out from behind Sana's ear and was just resting there. She wanted to push it back for her, but that was insane. Sana leaned forward, all traces of goofiness gone, and those _eyes-_

"There you are!" 

Dahyun jerked upright, aware she'd been leaning in to Sana as well, and glanced over to see Jihyo and Tzuyu walking towards them. Jihyo looked pleased, both of them wearing matching hats. 

"Look at what we got in the gift shop! Hey, you feeling all right, Dahyun? Your cheeks are red as hell." Jihyo asked concernedly. 

"Yup! Just peachy!" said Dahyun, for what must've been the fifth time that night. She sprang up from the chair, pushing it in with a squeak. "You guys wanna show me the gift shop? I'd like to get something." 

"So would I." announced Sana, but this time looping her arm with Jihyo's and setting off a little ways ahead of them. Tzuyu hung back, matching her step to Dahyun's and giving her a curious look. 

"Did something happen?" 

"I...I don't even know." Dahyun muttered.

This was going to be a long summer. 

_**Turnbull Canyon, 8:30 PM PST** _

"Is this even open right now?" Jeongyeon questioned as they pulled up to the entrance of Turnbull Canyon. Nayeon had to admit, it did look pretty intriguing, with the rolling hills and thick greenery appealing in the dying light.

"Technically, it closed at 8, but what they don't know won't hurt them." Mina said offhandedly. Nayeon rolled her eyes as she checked the batteries in her camcorder one last time. 

"So you came up here without even a backup plan if we get caught? The most exciting footage we might get tonight is us being escorted out. Make sure you get a shot of that, Momo." Nayeon instructed. Mina was so ridiculous, honestly. And Jihyo thought _she_ was the stubborn one? 

Mina scowled at her- it didn't suit that pretty face, really- and turned away to hand Jeongyeon a headlamp as they got out of the car. 

Wait. 

_Pretty?_

Nayeon shook her head vigorously and attached the DSLR stabilizer to the camcorder. She could think it in a passing moment- she wasn't blind- but she'd eat dirt before admitting out loud that Nayeon thought any part of Myoui Mina was _attractive._

"The trail goes on for about four miles, but I don't expect to have to go the whole way. There's a specific point I'd like to end at, and then we can head back. Sounds good?" Mina asked. The others nodded, and Jeongyeon flicked her headlamp on, stepping back to allow the rest ahead of her. 

"Momo, are you filming yet?" 

Momo gave Jeongyeon a distracted thumbs up, fiddling with her own camera: a Vixia HF G40 that Nayeon admired. Her own Canon was her baby, something she'd worked for over ages, but Momo's wasn't too shabby either. 

"Good. I'd like to go on record saying that I think this is all full of shit. You can proceed, Mina." Jeongyeon said. The team started up the trail, and Nayeon instinctively shifted into her filming crouch, keeping the focus on Mina and ahead of them, unless otherwise told. Momo was walking sideways on one side of Mina, occasionally panning to someone else or the trail, and Chaeyoung was on the opposite side. 

Mina cleared her throat and began gesturing at the trees surrounding them. "Here we are on the first stop of our journey, in Whittier, California, inside Turnbull Canyon. This is a favorite trail for hikers and cyclists alike. The roads are preferable to drivers wishing to test their drifting skills, and its initial appearance is calm and peaceful." 

She paused as they slowly began to climb up a steeper path, Nayeon's concentration entirely focused on keeping the camera steady. "However, several sinister and odd tales lurk in Turnbull Canyon's history. KKK meetings, an alleged gravity hill, whispers of Satanic rituals and kidnappings, among other gruesome stories." 

"Satanic rituals? _Here?"_ Jeongyeon snorted behind Nayeon. Mina ignored her, keeping her focus as she walked backwards to face the cameras. 

"Historically, these acres once belonged to a Native American tribe known as the Gabrielinos. Their land was taken over when governor Pio Pico granted all 49,000 acres to Captain William Workman in 1845. The Native Americans were forced to work for him, and obviously the soldiers and the natives clashed. They believed it was native ground, and called it 'Hutukgna', or the 'Dark Place', where the souls of those who did not convert to Christianity were doomed to wander. Some say they can hear war drums, deep in the mountains, even to this day." 

Maybe it was the sincerity with which she spoke, or the complete conviction in Mina's expression, or just the combination of the darkness and the increasingly creepy trees looming over them, but Nayeon was beginning to feel....antsy. Her neck prickled, and she had the urge to turn around, even though she _knew_ no one was there. 

Right? 

Nayeon's thought process was interrupted by Jeongyeon snorting again. "They're probably mistaking thunder for drums. Ask how many of those people came out here on a stormy night, huh?" 

Mina didn't say anything, although Nayeon thought she could see her jaw flex through the screen. "Some treat Turnbull Canyon a little like a landlocked Bermuda Triangle." Mina continued, as they began to trek downhill, Nayeon biting her lower lip in concentration. 

"Several devastating events have occurred here, including a tragic plane crash in April 1952 of Flight 416, killing 29 passengers and Captain Lewis Powell. There is also the sad account of the murder of Gloria Gaxiola, on October 12, 2002. She was shot in the head on Turnbull Canyon Road, before being dragged four miles to Hacienda Heights." 

A cold drop seemed to trickle down Nayeon's spine, and she was suddenly very aware of how alone they seemed to be, how pressing the air was, and she could tell from the tension in Momo's and Chaeyoung's backs that they felt the same. _Regardless..._

"Moving past the tragic to the sinister," Mina went on as they made their way around a loop, the earth crunching ominously under their shoes. "There are tales of alleged cult rituals happening, involving the sacrificing of children during the years of the Great Depression. Some say that those spirits roam the trails of the canyon, and may even swing from the trees..." 

_She is way too good at keeping up the creepiness,_ thought Nayeon nervously. 

"Oh, come _on._ Don't you think more people would've noticed bodies hanging from the trees?" Jeongyeon asked cuttingly. Before Mina could snap back at her, Nayeon paused and stared back at Jeongyeon. 

"Jeongyeon, knock it off. This is Mina's footage and you're talking over her." 

Jeongyeon glared at her incredulously before shaking her head and looking away. Nayeon returned her gaze to the camera, nodding at Mina to continue, who looked taken aback before starting to walk again. It wasn't that big of a deal. Nayeon didn't want to have to keep editing Jeongyeon out of the clips. And yes, okay, this was Mina's first video and Nayeon thought she deserved the quality to be as clean as possible. From a professional viewpoint, of course. 

"....and around 1962, a group of teenagers supposedly wandered further than they should, one of them dying when he picked up an electroshock device thought dormant, attached to the asylum." Mina was saying, carefully treading backwards again. 

Nayeon slowed when she noticed a pair of tall black gates behind her, the top covered by barbed wire. Mina signaled for them to stop, and she walked slowly up to the gates, waving her hand across them. 

"And here we have a pivotal point of Turnbull Canyon...Hell's Gates. Some say it's the entrance for Satanists, others say the fabled asylum lies beyond those chains. At least, until it burned down in the 1940s. Is something hidden in that snarled undergrowth? Or is it all speculation and rumors? To answer that question...you'll have to come see for yourself." 

Mina made a cut off motion across her throat, and Nayeon hit stop, straightening up with a groan. 

"That was exhausting. Scary and awesome, but exhausting." Chaeyoung declared, lowering the camcorder. 

"All that stuff is true?" Momo asked curiously, looking uneasily at the gates. Mina shrugged. 

"It's the stuff of legends. Maybe we aren't here at the right time, maybe they aren't vengeful spirits."

Jeongyeon was looking sour, arms crossed over her chest, but she'd kept her mouth shut just as Nayeon had asked. 

"I think we got some pretty good footage." Nayeon offered. Despite her initial reluctance, she had wanted to prove that she did live up to her reputation, and she was feeling quite confident about this one. Never mind the uneasiness crawling under her skin. 

"Time to head back." Mina said. Momo and Chaeyoung immediately started down the trail, Momo pointing the camera at Chaeyoung and asking interview questions, and Jeongyeon wasn't far behind, muttering to herself. Mina paused as she went to follow, looking at Nayeon without a trace of annoyance for once. 

"You really are professional in your....element. Thanks for backing me up." Mina said carefully, almost disbelievingly, as if unable to believe that she could give Nayeon a compliment. Nayeon snapped the stabilizer off of the camera. 

"No problem. You...spoke good." 

Mina tilted her head, and something about the light reflecting in her eyes, the way the darkness outlined her form in sharp and cold angles...it made something flicker in Nayeon's mind, like a dying bulb. 

_Dazzling._

Nayeon blinked, and the moment passed as Mina followed the others, slipping a flashlight from her belt. This canyon really did have supernatural effects, because in what other context would she be thinking these things about _Myoui Mina?_

"Fucking Jihyo." muttered Nayeon, adjusting her light to hurry after them. 

...

"Of course this had to happen, and of course _I'm_ the one who has to go back." Jeongyeon muttered as she stomped back up the trail. Of course they were closer to the car than not, when Momo realized she dropped her flashlight by the gates, and of course they volunteered Jeongyeon to go and grab it. 

"It's all full of shit, they know it is." Jeongyeon spotted the flashlight near a tree, and grunted as she knelt down to pluck it from the ground. When they got back to the hotel, she was so ordering room service and shutting Momo out- 

She paused. 

The trees at the edge there....that shape underneath wasn't natural, was it? Jeongyeon squinted, adjusting the headlamp, but she was just a _little_ too far back. 

That dark mass dangling from the branches...well, it looked like a....like a swinging body. 

The flashlight slackened in her grip, and Jeongyeon cursed as she dropped it, scrabbling around the dirt until she grasped it again. "No fucking way." She looked back up.

The mass was gone. 

Jeongyeon blinked hard. She had a practical streak running deeper than anyone she knew, but she also had a healthy respect for her own skin. Flicking the flashlight on, she sprinted down the trail. 

_"Momo!"_

She was going to kill that girl. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Silly Jeongyeon, there aren't any spirits to be afraid of in Turnbull Canyon. It's all hearsay, remember? 
> 
> Right? 
> 
> Here we go with Saida and Minayeon! I wonder who will turn out to be more stubborn, Mina or Nayeon. 
> 
> Next stop is Arizona, for anyone who's curious! 
> 
> Title of this chapter is from Dani California by Red Hot Chili Peppers


	3. You Would Not Believe Your Eyes

**_Dobbins Lookout_ **

**_Phoenix, Arizona, 3 PM MST_ **

"Chaeyoung, are you rolling?"

"Yup."

"Momo?" 

"All good." 

"Alright, then here we go in 3...2...1....Much like several other American urban tales, the legend of the skinwalkers is rooted deeply in Native American culture. According to Navajo legend..."

Jihyo squinted against the sunlight as she followed Chaeyoung and Momo's path with the camcorder. Upon their arrival in Phoenix yesterday, she'd volunteered to go on ghost duty along with Sana and Dahyun, while the others went out for sightseeing. Mina had decided on filming at Dobbins Lookout, a scenic observation point overlooking the city about 30 minutes from their hotel. Even with the sun beating down mercilessly, the humidity in the air, and the uncomfortableness of her shirt sticking to her back with sweat, Jihyo was enjoying it so far. 

"There are different variations of skinwalkers, depending on which tribe." Mina continued as she paced along the edge of the cliff they were standing on, turning to face the cameras as she leaned against the railing. "But all accounts agree on the fact that skinwalkers were once witches or sorcerers who strayed to the dark side for power. They can transform or disguise themselves as animals at will." 

Jihyo crouched a few feet away from Dahyun, who was giving Sana quiet tips on holding her camera to take snapshots of Mina. "Since we're shooting in direct sunlight, you'll want to use the lens hood...that's right." she could hear Dahyun murmur. "Also, walk around to shoot from different angles. Make sure the camera's in manual mode, and now shoot this way..."

"Like this, Dahyunnie?" 

"Yup, you've got it."

Jihyo smiled to herself as they moved away from her, talking softly to each other. They were the cutest, honestly, or would be if Dahyun ever mustered up the courage to tell Sana how she felt. 

"...while the subject is considered taboo among the Navajo to discuss with non tribe members, there have been enough witness accounts to get an idea of what skinwalkers might look like." Mina began pacing again, using her hands as she talked. 

"Descriptions vary from four legged beasts to walking upright, but they're usually portrayed with startlingly human faces and gleaming red or yellow eyes. Sometimes they're dark and hairy, other times pale and eerily normal looking. Many encounters have been on desolate roads, so if you're driving alone at night and hear a tapping on the window, don't look over. It might be the last thing you do." 

And...cut. Mina slashed across her throat, and Jihyo shifted upwards, fanning herself. 

"It might be the last thing you do? _That's_ your finishing line?" Chaeyoung asked derisively, walking over from the shade of the rock structure beside them. Mina frowned at her as she reached for her water bottle on the ground. 

"This is basically just for my parents, I'm not trying to win any Oscars here." 

"No danger of that, don't you worry." Chaeyoung snorted. 

"Chaeyoung, don't be mean." Jihyo called as she strode past them to admire the view. It really was gorgeous up here, urban legends aside. 

"Nah, keep going, I'm getting great footage." said Momo eagerly, pointing her camera between Chaeyoung and Mina. Jihyo glanced over to see irritation beginning to crease Mina's forehead, and quickly stepped forward. 

"Hey, I think we're done here. How about we head down and find something to eat?" she suggested. 

"Sounds good to me." Momo said cheerfully, finally shutting her camera off. Mina just shook her head as she followed Chaeyoung down the path, Momo trailing after them. 

"Dahyun? Sana?" Jihyo prompted. The two were standing by the rock structure, Dahyun leaning in and pointing at the screen. 

" _Dahyun. Sana."_

They jumped, Sana blinking at her dazedly. "Uh, yeah?"

"Come on, we're going. Or you both can stay up here, since you seem to be getting on so well..."

Dahyun and Sana looked at each other, and Dahyun swallowed visibly before backing up and almost tripping over her own feet. "Nope! We're good! I'm, uh, starving."

Sana glanced at Jihyo in puzzlement before shrugging and trotting after Dahyun. Jihyo laughed under her breath as she followed suit. 

_Cute._

_**Royal Palms Resort & Spa, 4:15 PM MST ** _

"Dahyun-ah."

"Hmm?"

Dahyun had been focusing on going through Sana's pictures of Mina for the last ten minutes, hardly paying attention to what Chaeyoung and Tzuyu were saying behind her. It usually was like this- the two of them getting into banter over nothing while Dahyun got lost in her own world, but she hadn't noticed the odd quiet as she examined each photo. They could use some editing, but they weren't half bad...

"Are you finally gonna do it?" Chaeyoung asked. Dahyun didn't look up, inspecting a particularly interesting silhouetted image Sana had taken. 

"Do what?"

"Ask out Sana."

Dahyun almost dropped the camera, fumbling it wildly and snagging it at the last moment when it glanced off her finger. She set it on the loveseat armrest and looked over at her friends in disbelief. Chaeyoung was sitting backwards on a chair, her chin propped on her arms, and Tzuyu sat cross legged on the bed, looking faintly amused. 

"Say what now?"

Chaeyoung rolled her eyes. "Come on, Dahyun, we know you like her. Anybody with eyes and a brain could see it."

"You are pretty obvious." Tzuyu put in. "So why don't you ask her out?"

Dahyun looked down at her hands, fiddling with her fingers and cursing how easily she blushed. "First of all, I am not _that_ obvious. And second....there's no indication of her liking me back." she mumbled. 

"She's around you like, _all_ the time." Chaeyoung protested. 

"She's like that with everyone."

"She hates mornings, and she got up especially early to prepare for the recording today with you." Tzuyu pointed out. "I could hear her in the bathroom, being all nervous."

A small bit of hope perked up within Dahyun, but she shook her head. _Keep your cool._ "It wasn't just because of me. Jihyo and Momo were there too, and they're like best friends."

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu exchanged exasperated glances. "All right, what was all that stuff with your camera about today, then? You looked pretty comfortable." Chaeyoung said shrewdly. 

"That was just photography work. I told her I could help her get better at it for the trip and....what?" Dahyun asked as Chaeyoung and Tzuyu looked at each other again. 

"You're so, so close, Dahyun-ah, but yet so far." said Tzuyu as she reached for her phone. Chaeyoung leaned forward, looking unusually serious. 

"If you want, you can borrow my camera. I haven't used it as much as I thought I would, and you're one of like five people I trust it with." 

"Really? Wow, thanks, Chaeng." said Dahyun, touched. Chaeyoung was extremely protective of her equipment, and she could count on one hand the amount of times Chaeyoung had previously let her touch her camera. She must really want Sana and Dahyun together...

"Here we go." said Tzuyu, looking down at her phone. "I found a great spot here, like five minutes away. Camelback Mountain. Looks great for scenery."

"Wait, what?"

"You and Sana can go out and hike the trail, do some nature shots, the whole nine yards." Chaeyoung explained, getting up to find her camera bag. Dahyun shrank back, uncertainty pricking under her skin. 

"How do you know she'd even want to go with me? We're only here through tomorrow, and I'm sure she's got better things to do." 

"Like what? Visit the spa? There is _nothing_ better to do than spend time with our very own Dahyun-ah." Chaeyoung declared, crossing back over and holding the camera bag out to her. 

"Besides, it's like 85 degrees out, you'll be dying to come back inside in ten minutes. Just spend an hour with her, take a couple pictures, amaze her with your expertise, and you can come back." said Tzuyu, propping her hands behind her head and leaning against the headboard. 

Dahyun hesitated, although she wasn't sure why. The picture Chaeyoung and Tzuyu painted in her mind _did_ seem nice...and what could Sana be doing that was any more interesting? She took the bag, smiling as Chaeyoung whooped and flung herself on the mattress beside Tzuyu. 

"I know for a fact she's in our room, so no better opportunity than right now." Tzuyu told her. 

"Okay...wish me luck, guys." Dahyun said with a nervous laugh as she grabbed her backpack. 

"Good luck! Don't fuck it up." Chaeyoung called as she shut the door behind herself. _I can do this. I can ask her to go with me._ Dahyun reminded herself firmly, and wandered down the hall until she was outside of Tzuyu and Sana's room. She paused to calm her nerves, her stomach squirming rather painfully, and rapped on the door three times. A brief moment, and then Sana's voice. 

"Just a second!" 

Dahyun fidgeted with the strap of the camera bag, trying to take another deep breath, and then the door swung open to reveal Sana, looking flushed and pretty with her hair up in a ponytail, clad in a simple tank top and jean shorts. 

"Dahyunnie!" she said brightly. 

"Hi. You- you look nice." Dahyun wished she could sew up her mouth as Sana glanced down at herself, and looked back up with raised eyebrows. 

"Really? I thought I looked like a hot mess..."

"You do!" Dahyun heard Jeongyeon and Momo shout in unison from somewhere in the room. Sana stuck her tongue out at them before turning back to Dahyun. 

"So, what's up?"

"Um...there's a spot not too far from here called Camelback Mountain, and it looks great for nature photos. I thought maybe you'd like to go and do some photography with me..." Dahyun tried very hard not to flush as Sana paused. 

"Photography lessons with you? Now?"

"Uh, yeah. It's okay if you're busy..."

"No, no!" said Sana. "That sounds great. Just let me grab my stuff. Jeongyeon!" she shouted as she dashed back into the room. "You're driving us!"

_"What?"_

"Oh, like you're doing anything important. Get up!"

"Fine, fine..."

Dahyun smiled as she listened to them bustle around, and finally Jeongyeon appeared, looking sulky. Sana came in right behind her. 

"See you later, babe!" she called to Momo, and blew a kiss before shutting the door. 

_Babe?_ Dahyun wondered as Sana turned to face her, beaming. "Ready?" 

"...Yeah." Dahyun mumbled, not liking the empty feeling that had just awakened in her chest. 

... 

Nayeon groaned softly as she cracked her neck. Her entire body was stiff from huddling over her computer and the editing software for the past two hours. Jihyo had gotten some nice moments at Dobbins Lookout. The view she captured almost made Nayeon wish she could've gone with, but two days in a row around Mina was not a good idea. 

_Isn't it?_

Nayeon ignored that annoying little voice as she stood up, closing her laptop screen and stretching. She needed a break and a snack. Of course, she could always order room service, but Nayeon felt like stretching her legs, tired of feeling like a hermit. When she stepped out into the hallway, she noticed something silver on the carpet a few feet away. As she got closer, Nayeon recognized it as Mina's phone. 

"Figures she didn't notice she dropped it. She could just buy another one, far less inconvenient." Nayeon muttered as she picked it up. She hesitated, looking down the hall towards Jihyo and Mina's room. She _really_ wanted a snack, but if the situations were reversed...

Nayeon sighed and started in the opposite direction of the restaurant. The phone's screen lit up in her hand, and she glanced down to see a text from Chaeyoung, and a paused song...

"She listens to _Tyler The Creator?"_ Nayeon spluttered, stopping in her tracks at the answering display of 'Earfquake'. Myoui Mina had taste? She figured Mina would like...classical music. Maybe Adele or something. Nayeon scratched the back of her head as she slowly continued to their door, a newfound intrigue sparking in her. She hadn't really ever had an interest in Mina besides putting up with her for Jihyo, but maybe, just maybe, there was a little something here.

Nayeon had to knock several times before Mina answered. "Oh, it's you."

Nayeon crossed her arms over her chest. "Sorry to disappoint, or not. I can't imagine how seeing me would be a disappointment to anyone."

Mina didn't even bother to roll her eyes, propping herself against the door frame. Nayeon chose to ignore how annoyingly good she looked. Mina being objectively attractive was of no relevance to her. It affected nothing, not her thoughts at night or anything like that. 

"Can I help you with something?" Mina asked pointedly. 

Nayeon held the phone out. "Found this in the hall, figured you might want it back." 

Genuine shock passed over Mina's face as she took the phone. "I didn't even realize...it must've fallen out of my pocket. Well, thank you." 

"It's nothing. But, I did notice that you like Tyler, The Creator?" 

Mina glanced at her questioningly. Nayeon shrugged. "Your screen lit up when Chaeyoung texted." she said.

"Ah. Well, in that case, yes I do. Surprised?" 

"That you have taste? Yes, quite."

Mina tucked the phone in her back pocket, looking vaguely amused. "And I suppose you're just the music aficionado, is that it?" 

"Don't flatter yourself too much, princess." Nayeon said scornfully. Did Mina have any expressions beside smug and annoyed? "One good song doesn't make you the authority."

"And again I ask, I suppose you can do so much better?" Mina replied, a taunting edge in her voice. Nayeon's jaw clenched. She didn't back down from challenges, but she knew Mina was purposely baiting her, and she hated that she had to rise to it. 

"I certainly could."

"Show me sometime, then." said Mina simply, and closed the door without warning. Nayeon stood there, silently seething, and turned to stomp off in search of food, but paused. Then she pulled her own phone out, opened her music app, and copy pasted a song. She pulled up Mina's number, never before used, and sent the link. 

_Lost- Frank Ocean_

**_Echo Canyon Trail, Camelback Mountain_ **

**_5:10 PM MST_ **

"Holy crap, it is _hot_ up here." Sana panted as they climbed up past the dusty red-brown rocks. Dahyun didn't answer, although she agreed. The sun was insanely intense, and she was sure she looked about five times grosser than she wanted to. Sana hadn't said anything about it, to her relief. 

"We just gotta go a little further, then we can stop and do the last bit of photos." Dahyun said, looking wearily up at the steepness of the trail above them. She'd felt off and empty since they'd left the resort, but a promise was a promise. Although, she was thinking of discontinuing their lessons after this one. 

"Lead the way, master." Sana replied, wiping at her forehead with her tank top. Dahyun set off ahead of her, glad of an opportunity to gather her thoughts and fix her expression before they had to face each other. Why would Sana want lessons from Dahyun if she had _Momo?_ Momo, who was pretty and funny and talented and entirely too lovable. Dahyun couldn't even be properly jealous because Momo was her friend, and if anyone deserved to have someone like Sana, it was her. Not that she didn't wish that it wasn't the case- 

"Made it!" Sana crowed from behind her, and Dahyun blinked in realization, as they were indeed at the top of the trail now, surrounded by tanned rocks and sparse, light green bushes. 

"The view in these places really is incredible." Sana murmured, stepping out to the edge of the slab of rock they stood on, taking in the spread out landscape before them. Dahyun lifted the camera from over her head and turned it on. 

"No better spot for you to practice." 

Sana turned to her with a smile, and Dahyun's heart fluttered before she sternly reminded herself not to do that anymore. "I'm ready!" 

Dahyun took a step back as Sana handled the camera, slipping the strap over her head. "What you shoot is up to you, but remember a few things. You want to keep the photo balanced, evenly distributed on all sides. Use leading lines like clouds, trees, the edge of the cliff to help the image. Kneel or lay down to get different angles, and make sure to use the lens hood." 

Sana giggled quietly as she raised the viewfinder to her eye, aiming at the landscape below. "I think I can remember all that. You know how to work your students, Dahyunnie." 

Dahyun sighed as she looked away from her. She _wanted_ to be closer like they had been earlier, but she didn't see the point now. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu were going to be so disappointed. 

"Hey, come look at this one!" Sana called, from where she knelt at the edge of the cliff. Dahyun inched over, so slowly that Sana gave her a strange look. "What are you doing? I don't bite." 

Dahyun came up behind her, leaning forward to examine the image of the skyline Sana had taken. It wasn't half bad, except...

"Too much lens flare." said Dahyun, tapping the edge of the screen. "Use the lens hood like I said." 

"Sorry, forgot that. What would I do without you, Dahyunnie?" Sana laughed, resting a hand on Dahyun's back. Without really meaning to, Dahyun flinched away, so hard that Sana almost dropped the camera. 

"Uh, sorry. Just, lens hood. Right." Dahyun muttered. 

"Okay..." said Sana uneasily, as she attached the lens hood and walked to the other side. Dahyun's fists clenched, and she suddenly felt so irritated, so restless and impatient. She was going to have words with Chaeyoung and Tzuyu when they went back. Tzuyu was Sana's roommate, and they had already been friends before this. Didn't she think telling her Sana had a whole _girlfriend_ would be of the tiniest interest to Dahyun? 

"I think this one's better? Wanna look?" Sana asked, holding the camera out. She seemed to be taking care not to touch Dahyun again. A strange mix of disappointment and relief settled in her stomach as Dahyun looked over the picture. 

"Sana, this is...incredible." 

"Really? You're not just saying that?" Sana asked uncertainly, and that look of worry was so cute that Dahyun had to smile. 

"Yes, really. No lens flare, balanced perfectly between the land and the sky, it's wonderful." 

Sana beamed. "It's all thanks to you, Dahyunnie. You know, I'm really enjoying everything you have to teach me! It's only been a few days and I already feel so much more educated." 

Dahyun slipped the camera back over her own head. "You just might be a natural." 

Sana laughed as they started for the trail back down, and Dahyun really did try to keep quiet, but her mouth was traitorous. "I'm not sure why you asked me. You've got Momo right there." 

Sana looked back at her in confusion. "Momo?" 

"Aren't you...together?" 

"Together? Like dating?" Sana's eyes widened, and she shook her head rapidly, to Dahyun's surprise. "Are you talking about how I said bye to her? No, no, that's just our thing. We've been friends forever." 

Dahyun nodded as nonchalantly as she could manage, while internally she was going crazy. _So maybe I still have a chance!_ "That's...cool." _Real smooth, Dahyun._

"Besides," Sana continued, sounding slightly out of breath as they picked their way down the rocks. "She's been helping me practice my technique for...someone else." 

Dahyun stopped, almost walking right into Sana as she turned around. Her heartbeat picked up painfully at the look in Sana's eyes. "Practice?" she asked. 

"Yeah." said Sana softly, tilting her head. "I'm not too good with expressing myself. Not when it counts." 

Dahyun swallowed hard. Even as flushed and sweaty and overheated as she looked, Sana had never seemed prettier to her. "Well...who-" 

Sana's phone cut her off with a sharp buzzing, and Dahyun turned away to inhale deeply as Sana answered. "Hello? Yeah, we're done. Heading back down now. Okay. All right. Bye, Jeong." She looked at Dahyun as she slipped her phone back in her pocket. "Um, well, ready?" she asked, and her tone was different than its usual cheeriness. Almost like she was putting up a front. 

Dahyun was far too inexperienced for this. She needed Chaeyoung and Tzuyu. Now. 

"Yup. Let's go." 

_**? in Phoenix, 9 PM MST** _

"Are we lost? I'm pretty sure we're lost."

"We are _not_ lost. We're just...misplaced."

"Real perceptive, Jihyo." 

Jihyo sighed and rested her head against the leather headrest again. They'd been driving for about an hour, Momo wanting to get some background footage of Arizona for her documentary. Jeongyeon hadn't felt like driving them, so she'd handed the keys off to Momo, and Chaeyoung had come with as the driver. Problem was, nobody had really been paying attention to where they were going, and now they were driving down the same monotonous, dark road. Even the blanket of clouds overhead was nondescript and boring. 

"Look, just keep going until I can get service again. Then I can use GPS and we can go back to the damn hotel." Jihyo told Chaeyoung. Chaeyoung grumbled indistinctly, but kept driving forward. 

"It's hot as _hell,_ even at night here? I won't miss this state." Momo complained, rolling down the window. Warm air blasted in and whipped at their faces. 

"Yeah well, we can't keep running the AC, so-" Chaeyoung stopped talking. 

"What?"

"What the hell is that noise?" 

Jihyo lifted her head up, listening. "Uh, what?" she questioned. 

"That tapping noise, is it the car?" 

Momo looked over her camera at Chaeyoung. "I don't..."

_Rap rap rap_

Jihyo froze. Momo slowly lowered the camera, looking confused. 

"That! What is that?" Chaeyoung demanded, her voice rising and breaking. 

"Sounded like something against the glass..."

"I'm sure it's fine." Jihyo said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "Just keep-" 

Chaeyoung slammed on the brakes so hard that Jihyo was flung against her seat belt. "Chaeng!" Momo yelped. "What-?" 

"What the _fuck_ is that?" Chaeyoung whispered harshly. Jihyo looked up, her gaze resting on something a ways down the road. A...shape. 

"Um, hitchhiker?" Jihyo croaked. 

"Uh uh." said Chaeyoung, and Jihyo could see the hair rising on the back of her arms. "Nah, I'm not-"

"Chaeyoung, _chill."_ Jihyo barked, even as the shape moved, looking huge and black and...not right. "Just drive forward, they're probably lost like us."

"Skinwalker." she heard Momo breathe. 

"Will you two _knock it off!_ Stop letting Mina scare you, because-" 

Chaeyoung and Momo screamed as the shape lunged forward. Jihyo's eyes widened as Chaeyoung swerved hard around it, its body only briefly being illuminated by the sweep of the headlights, but it was dark and hairy and _wrong._

"Holy _fucking fuck!"_

"I don't want to know what that was, I want to leave this goddamn state already!" 

"Momo, did you get footage?" Jihyo asked in a shaking voice. "Chaeyoung, _relax_ or you're going to kill us." 

Momo fumbled with the video settings in her camera, and Jihyo leaned forward as she hit play on the most recent clip. It was only about 30 seconds long, and most of it was just pointed at Chaeyoung and Jihyo, but when Jihyo said, "Um, hitchhiker?", the camera swung around. And the footage it displayed was blurred. It could be a person, or an animal, or anything else, except for...

"Are its eyes glowing?" Momo whispered. 

They looked at each other. 

"Um. My phone has service again." Jihyo said quietly. 

"Get us the hell out of here already!" Chaeyoung snapped. Jihyo punched the resort's name into her phone, trying to stop her fingers from shaking. 

Maybe Mina's beliefs weren't so far fetched after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dahyun, you ain't slick 
> 
> Not every chapter will jump from state to state, as we progress further I'll be having a few of them explore outside of their recording duties to see various tourist attractions and things like that (weird to write about that when it literally isn't possible right now but oh well). 
> 
> Next stop is Idaho


	4. The Remarkable Obliviousness of Kim Dahyun

**_Inn at 500_ **

**_Boise, Idaho_ **

**_11:30 AM MST_ **

Dahyun stepped out of the bathroom, yawning and running a hand through her hair, and was unsurprised to see Tzuyu spread out on her bed, intently watching TV with Chaeyoung. 

"You know you have your own room, right?" Dahyun asked as she settled next to Chaeyoung. Tzuyu glanced at her and immediately returned her attention back to the TV. 

"I know." 

Dahyun rolled her eyes and rested back on the pillows. "Are you going on ghost duty tonight?" 

Tzuyu had been rather reluctant to go on the outings in Nevada and Utah, instead focusing on helping Chaeyoung and Jihyo edit their footage, or bonding with Jeongyeon back in the resorts. Jihyo had convinced her she needed to go on at least a few recordings, and Tzuyu had finally agreed. 

"Yeah. They're going to some cemetery in Caldwell, which is like 30 minutes from here. Nayeon said she'd show me how to edit nighttime footage afterwards, so why not. It's all fake anyway." Tzuyu shrugged. 

Chaeyoung's eyes narrowed, and she sat up. "How do you explain that...that _thing_ we saw in Phoenix, then? There's video of it, and it was _not_ normal." 

Tzuyu shook her head. "I saw that clip. It's like most other 'footage'- too blurry and uncertain to assume it's anything actually supernatural." 

They'd been having this argument off and on for days now, and Dahyun could see Chaeyoung's cheeks starting to redden with anger. Wanting to halt a potential fight in its tracks, Dahyun laid a hand on Chaeyoung's back and spoke up quickly. 

"So, I've been thinking about doing something for a while, and I wanted to get your opinions."

"Shoot." said Tzuyu.

"Well, we've been getting along really good, and I was thinking of asking Sana to hang out. Outside of our photography lessons, I mean." Dahyun said. 

Chaeyoung looked at Tzuyu, all traces of annoyance fading, and sprang up excitedly. "That's awesome, Dahyun-ah! Where are you gonna go?"

Dahyun shrugged, fiddling with the bedspread. The thought of being all alone with Sana, with no work or photography to hide behind, was both nerve-wracking and invigorating. All throughout Nevada and Utah, Sana had been very close to her, choosing to sit next to her in the car and resting her head on her shoulder, lingering by her room after they came back from lessons or ghost duty, and sometimes Dahyun would catch her staring. 

"You are absolutely hopeless, but that's what we're here for." Chaeyoung said, grabbing her phone and plopping down next to Tzuyu, who leaned over. 

"I wish I could be _sure."_ Dahyun murmured, practically to herself. Sana was certainly affectionate, but she was affectionate with Jeongyeon and Momo too. She draped herself over Jihyo half the time. Yes, she spent more time with Dahyun than the others now, but that was because of the photography. 

"Sure of what?" asked Chaeyoung inattentively, snatching a pen and paper from the dresser. 

"That she likes me..." 

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu looked at each other. Tzuyu grinned, trying to hide it under her hand while Chaeyoung sighed and scribbled on the paper. "Definitely hopeless..."

"What?" Dahyun questioned, glancing between them. Chaeyoung folded her fingers around the paper and patted Dahyun's cheek. 

"You're taking her to this nice little coffee shop, and then the aquarium. Jeongyeon will give her the keys, I'm sure." 

Dahyun looked down at the directions in her hand, and a small smile played across her face as she leapt up to grab her wallet. "Thanks, guys." 

"No problem. But, you know, Dahyun-ah," said Tzuyu casually, drawing her knees up to rest her chin on them. "If you really want to know if Sana likes you back, why don't you just _ask_ her?" 

...

"What are you so smiley about? Who are you texting?" Jihyo asked curiously, watching Mina as she was curled up in the armchair next to her bed. She'd been there all morning, typing away and occasionally...giggling. That was something Jihyo hadn't heard from her in a long time. She kind of missed it. 

"Um...don't worry about it." said Mina distractedly, not looking up. Jihyo frowned. 

"Well, now I'm _definitely_ curious. So..." 

She strode over to Mina's side and plucked the phone out of her hands. Mina let out a startled yelp and attempted to lunge for the phone, but Jihyo held it over her head, peering at the screen as she twisted away. 

" _Nayeon?_ You're texting _Nayeon?"_ said Jihyo incredulously, her eyebrows shooting to the top of her forehead as she spun to face Mina. Sure, she'd picked up on the fact that her friends were certainly less hostile since they'd left Phoenix, even engaging in casual conversation when they didn't have to, but this was something entirely different. 

Mina snatched the phone back, scowling fiercely as her ears began to turn red. "We're talking about _music._ And her lack of taste. That's all." 

"Yeah, but that was a pretty lengthy conversation..." said Jihyo, growing more confused as Mina stomped past her to sit on the bed. "And you were using a ton of emojis. You don't usually-" 

"It's part of making fun of her. She thinks Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears is like the greatest song of all time. It simply isn't true. So I told her to listen to Wouldn't It Be Nice by The Beach Boys." Mina replied. 

Jihyo scratched the back of her head. "Isn't that a love song?"

"Yeah, so?"

Jihyo wasn't sure how to react. On one hand, it was relieving to have Mina and Nayeon not at each other's throats. But on the other, Mina was acting...odd. Overly defensive in a way that she only ever acted like when- 

Nah. No way. 

"Well, that's, uh, good you two are bonding over arguing, I guess." Jihyo shrugged and went over to her own bed, dropping down to pull her bag from underneath. "Nayeon is pretty cool, just like I told you."

"She's cute too."

BAM. Jihyo smacked her head against the underside of the bed and swore, crawling out with watery eyes. 

"Are you okay?" Mina gasped, jumping up and rubbing the top of Jihyo's head. 

"Did you just say she was cute?" 

Mina dropped her hands and backed up. "No. And even if I did, I can appreciate physical appearances of aggravating people." 

"But I heard you-" 

"Stop talking." Mina advised her, and Jihyo held her hands up in surrender, sitting on the bed and rubbing her head woefully. Maybe Mina was right. She was reading too much into this. 

But when she glanced up, Mina had gone right back to texting, that same soft smile on her face. 

_**Big City Coffee & Cafe ** _

_**12:00 PM MST** _

"Dahyunnie, I really have no idea what to get." Sana whined as she looked over the menu. They were seated at a cozy brown table in the corner, sunlight streaming through and feeling rather toasty on Dahyun's back. 

"Well, are you in the mood for breakfast or lunch?" Dahyun replied. Sana's cheeks puffed up as she let out a thoughtful breath. She was really too adorable for her own good. 

"I guess breakfast..."

"Get the Fresh Berry waffle." Dahyun suggested. "It's got fancy powdered sugar." 

"Ooh, and hot chocolate! Okay, that sounds nice." 

When the waiter returned, they placed their orders, and then Sana looked out the window, an absent smile lighting up her face. 

"It's so...quaint here." 

"Quaint?" Dahyun laughed. "Sana, there's a liquor store directly across the street."

"Well, yeah, but I dunno, this isn't a major place like Phoenix or Salt Lake City. It's a little calmer, a little more homely in comparison. I like it." Sana replied contemplatively. 

"Sure, but I don't know if quaint is the word I'd use."

"Don't make fun of me." Sana protested, her lower lip jutting out into a pout. Dahyun cleared her throat and took a sip of water to distract from the stupid flush on her cheeks. 

"So, are you excited for the aquarium?" 

Sana perked up at once. "Absolutely! I don't remember the last time I got to go to something like that. I've always thought stingrays were so cute." 

Dahyun choked on her water as she laughed again. "What, the floppy grey things that look like sea pancakes?" 

" _Yes._ Have you seen their faces against the glass?" 

It was remarkably easy to keep up casual conversation with Sana as they finally got their food, talked through their meal, and Sana insisting they take a couple of pictures together. Sure, Dahyun's pulse sped up at Sana's proximity, but she was becoming used to that. And she wasn't stumbling over her words as much anymore, but becoming comfortable. She liked this feeling. 

"Ready to go?" Dahyun asked as Sana took a last sip of hot chocolate. 

"Let's do it!" Sana pulled the car keys out of her pocket and grabbed Dahyun's arm to cheerily tug her along. A funny swooping sensation went through Dahyun's stomach, but she managed to keep her composure as she climbed into the passenger seat and Sana drove off. 

Why _didn't_ she just ask Sana if she liked her? It would make her life about 10% less complicated to finally know, to stop wondering over every arm graze and lingering look. But if she _didn't_ like Dahyun back, then this would be about 80% more complicated for the rest of the trip. 

"You okay, Dahyunnie? You're sighing a lot." Sana asked concernedly. 

"Um...yeah. Just wondering what the aquarium will be like." 

"I think it'll be great. But even if it's not, the trip won't be a total waste." Sana said, pulling into the parking lot. 

"Why is that?" 

"I had the best company." Sana winked at her before hopping out of the car, and Dahyun blinked, a slow but wide grin spreading across her face. So what if Sana was just this flirty with everyone? She'd take it. 

Sana linked their arms when Dahyun stepped out beside her, and rambled eagerly as they went inside, as Dahyun paid for their passes, and she almost shrieked when she noticed the touch tanks. 

"Dahyunnie, we can feed the _stingrays!_ And they have a reptile exhibit! Come on, come on!" 

Dahyun was absolutely content to stand back and watch Sana have the time of her life, a look of total wonder in her eyes as she fed the stingrays, and as she examined the shark exhibits and murmured to herself. 

"What's this one called?" Sana wondered, pointing at a long and thin brown shark. 

"According to this plaque, an Arabian carpet shark." Dahyun replied, shivering slightly. It was pretty chilly in here, despite it being summertime. 

"Are you cold?" Sana wrapped an arm around her shoulders before Dahyun could answer. _Oh, fuck. Keep your cool. Keep. Your. Cool._

"Uh, you wanna go look at the reptiles?" Dahyun stammered. 

"Yes!" 

Dahyun breathed a quiet sigh of relief when Sana dropped her arm as they went up to the tree canopy. It wasn't that she didn't _like_ Sana being that close. She liked it a little too much, and that was the problem. Dahyun was getting wrapped up in her own head again. If only Chaeyoung and Tzuyu were here to knock some sense into her. 

"Dahyun-ah!" Sana called, holding up her phone. "Come take a picture with me and this gecko!" 

"Coming!" 

There were some things Dahyun would just need to figure out on her own. 

_**Inn at 500** _

_**3:00 PM MST** _

"You had fun, right?" Dahyun asked, as they walked down the hotel hallway to their rooms. Considering she practically had to drag Sana out of the aquarium by her shirt to get her to leave, she was betting on yes, but it didn't hurt to make sure. 

"Definitely. I know we came on this trip for the urban legend recording, but between you and me, this has been my favorite part so far." Sana replied, giving her a smile that, for once, didn't make Dahyun blush or unable to think. It was sweet and warm and only made Dahyun want to smile back. 

"Well, we can do more stuff like this. There's a lot of states for us to get through. Maybe next time Momo or someone else can come with." Dahyun suggested. Sana's face fell a little, and she looked away as they reached Dahyun's door. 

"Maybe." 

"Um, well, see you later?" Dahyun offered, slightly puzzled at her change in demeanor. "Chaeyoung and Tzuyu are going out tonight on ghost duty, so I'll be free." 

"Yeah, sounds great." Sana said. Her expression was...expectant. Dahyun shifted, almost wanting to take a step back at how Sana was looking at her. 

"So..."

She thought she heard Sana sigh under her breath, and then she leaned in and kissed Dahyun's cheek. "See you later, Dahyunnie." Sana murmured, and headed down the hallway without a look back. 

Dahyun touched her cheek, her mind whirling at top speed. 

_Wait._

_Did we have a date?_

**_Canyon Hill Cemetery_ **

**_Caldwell, Idaho_ **

**_9:30 PM MST_ **

"I'm gonna say it."

"Say what?"

"We are literally filming in a graveyard. At night. This is the most cliche environment we could possibly be in."

"Okay, Tzuyu. You've made your point." 

Nayeon held in a snort of laughter as she raised the camcorder up. This was Tzuyu's first time joining one of the outings, and she was giving Jeongyeon a run for her money at how utterly unimpressed she was with all of it. Mina had assigned her to be backup for Chaeyoung, but was looking more exasperated every minute. The only one who seemed completely relaxed was Momo, who was walking around the various graves and under the trees with her camera, investigating. 

"Chaeyoung, Nayeon, you two ready?" Mina asked as she walked over from the car. At their nods, she cleared her throat and clasped her hands together. 

"The Canyon Hill cemetery in Caldwell, Idaho, is centuries old, built in the early 1800s. As most cemeteries are, it is surrounded with tales of hauntings and spirits residing here. For instance, some witnesses report seeing an older woman resting on that bench, late at night." Mina pointed and Nayeon followed the line of her finger carefully. 

"She only appears for a moment, but her presence is unnerving. Aside from her spirit, there are murder victims buried here, suicides, all kinds of tragic deaths. Perhaps the most disturbing story is the Phantom Jogger."

Tzuyu snorted so loudly behind Chaeyoung that it sounded like it hurt. Mina was too used to this from Jeongyeon to let it bother her anymore, and she strode to the two trees facing the cemetery front gate. "According to the legend, if you park here and wait long enough, eventually a legless apparition known as the Midnight Jogger will appear, and tap on the window of your car. Is she hostile? I suppose we'll find out."

"Hold up. What?" said Chaeyoung, peering around her camera. Mina smiled devilishly and pulled the car keys out of her pocket.

"We need to test this theory, don't we? What kind of researchers would we be otherwise?" she asked. 

"You guys are ridiculous." Tzuyu said, looking indifferently at the graves around them.

"If you want, you can come with me to get some background footage, Tzuyu." Momo offered. Tzuyu shrugged and took the headlamp Momo passed her. 

"Might as well." 

"They're crazy." Chaeyoung mumbled as she and Nayeon followed Mina to the car. "I wouldn't go off in a graveyard at _night_ just to get some atmosphere." 

"Momo's determined to get the most exhaustive documentary possible, and Tzuyu is Tzuyu." Nayeon said, although she agreed. Mina glanced at her as they climbed back in the car, and Nayeon had to suppress a smirk. Ever since Phoenix, there'd been this little push and pull between them. Mina was just so determined to have the best taste, to be better than Nayeon yet again, and assert her dominance. But in their texts, their little debates about rock and pop and hip hop, she could sense Mina was getting frustrated. She hadn't expected Nayeon to be this educated. 

And she was rather adorable when she got frustrated. Mina had the cutest little crease in her forehead when Nayeon pissed her off, but Nayeon saw no reason to reveal that information. Mina was still a brat. 

"All right, guys, ready to meet the Jogger?" Mina asked, breaking Nayeon out of her reverie, as she pulled up to the trees and cut the engine. Nayeon lifted the camcorder again, noticing the faint bob of Tzuyu's headlamp in the distance. 

"Sometimes I wonder during horror movies, who in their right mind would do something like purposely try to summon a ghost or play with an ouija board in their house? And yet...here I am." said Chaeyoung, sighing as she adjusted the lens. 

"Every option must be explored." Mina answered, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. Nayeon didn't say anything, but the environment was starting to freak her out too. A cemetery, at night, in the dark...the scene was writing itself. Well, not completely dark. There was...

"Where's their light?" Nayeon questioned. 

"What light?"

"Tzuyu and Momo's. Where are they?" 

Chaeyoung peered out the window. "Um..." 

"Maybe they went around." Mina suggested. 

Nayeon swallowed. "Went around _where?_ There's no-"

_Tap tap tap_

Nayeon and Chaeyoung shrieked. "It's the jogger!" Chaeyoung squeaked, ducking under the dashboard. Mina looked in the rearview mirror and sighed. 

"It's Tzuyu and Momo." 

Nayeon lifted her head to see Tzuyu switch her headlamp on from behind the car, grinning as Momo cracked up, striding around to the side door. 

"That was _not_ funny." Nayeon snapped as they settled in the back. 

"Sure it is. You just don't see the humor." Tzuyu replied. "Can we go back now? You guys aren't going to see anything. We walked around the whole perimeter and the only spooky thing was some cobwebs." 

"You're a real piece of work, Chou Tzuyu." Chaeyoung muttered as Mina rolled her eyes and twisted the keys. 

**_Inn at 500_ **

**_10:15 PM MST_ **

Nayeon was ready to call it a night. Tzuyu and Chaeyoung had gotten in an argument on the way back, and Nayeon was absolutely tired of being around other people. She felt immensely lucky that she had her own room. 

"Hey!" 

Nayeon paused outside of her door and glanced up wearily to see Mina coming down the hall towards her, holding out a camera bag. "You left this in the car." 

Nayeon took it, a little surprised. "The Mina I knew from before would've left it for me to have to find later." she mused. Mina shrugged, although there was a gleam in her eyes that Nayeon couldn't decipher. 

"I just felt like being nice to you. Think of it as a token of respect for finally picking a good song." 

Nayeon raised an eyebrow, dropping her hand from the door handle. "Do my ears deceive me? Are you actually admitting that I was right and you were wrong about something, princess?" she asked. 

Mina rolled her eyes. "Continuum is one of the most acclaimed albums of the last decade. I hardly think you liking Belief is something to pat yourself on the back for." 

"But you told me you didn't even _like_ John Mayer, so I take pride in this, and will absolutely be rubbing it in your face." Nayeon replied smugly. There was something just too fun in riling Mina up now, and she looked forward to those moments now. At the very least, Mina wasn't _quite_ as annoying as she had been before. That counted for something. 

"I wouldn't expect anything better from you." Mina said, and Nayeon was about to rise to the bait when Mina smiled. A real, genuine smile that lit up her face and caught Nayeon off guard. 

_Was she always this pretty?_

"I-" Nayeon found herself speechless for the first time in a long time. Mina waited, with her usual vague amusement, and then strode past her with a murmured, "Good night." 

Nayeon stared after her until she disappeared into her own room. 

Forget the ghosts and the devils they were chasing. The real mystery out here was Myoui Mina. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My motivation for finishing this chapter was sponsored by Dreamcatcher's new music video. Odd Eye is the best song this century, I don't make the rules 
> 
> Who's taller, Jihyo or Mina? Someone please tell me because I couldn't remember when writing the phone scene and it was really bugging me lol 
> 
> Next stop is Montana


	5. Just Smile All The Time

_**Great Falls, Montana** _

_**1:00 PM MST** _

Jihyo whistled appreciatively at the sight of the Giant Springs State Park before them. The rushing green water spilling onto the heavy rocks protruding from underneath was certainly an impressive vision. She lifted her camera, turning away from the sunlight to get just the right pose...

Something knocked into her side, and she swatted irritably at them.

"I was gonna get a great picture of that scenery, you ass!" she complained as Jeongyeon came up beside her, grinning. 

"Sorry, Jihyo-ah. But we came here to actually _witness_ the environment, not live behind our screens. Come on." She gestured to where Momo and Chaeyoung were currently running around the trail, looking for stones to skip and their expressions bright. Jihyo smiled softly as she watched them. They'd all been working so hard for the last few weeks that it had begun to feel more like that they were here out of obligation, and not choice. So when Jeongyeon had suggested stopping off in Great Falls on their way to Cascade County for sightseeing, they'd all vehemently agreed. 

Well, except for...

Jihyo glanced over her shoulder to see Mina still leaning against the Suburban, her brow furrowed as she texted on her phone. She'd been off since they'd arrived in Montana, and although she hadn't said anything about it, Jihyo knew it had something to do with her parents. 

"Go on. I'll catch up." she told Jeongyeon. Jeongyeon followed her line of vision and merely sighed, before patting her arm and jogging off to join Momo and Chaeyoung. Jihyo smoothed her hair back, enjoying the feel of the breeze for a moment, and then ambled over to Mina, touching her shoulder lightly. 

"Hey, you okay?" Jihyo asked. Mina nodded absently, biting at her thumbnail. 

"Nayeon's not bothering you, is she? I'll deal with her if she is." Jihyo promised, but Mina didn't smile. She just turned her phone off and tucked it away. 

"No, no, it's not her. It's okay." 

Jihyo frowned, watching as Mina didn't meet her eyes, instead staring at the ground, tension lined throughout her body. Something was definitely up. 

"What did your parents say?" 

Mina glanced up in alarm. Jihyo rested a hand on her arm, trying not to upset her further. "I know how you get when you argue with them, and you act a certain way when it's particularly bad. I know you." Jihyo said simply. 

Mina hesitated, scuffing her shoes against the dirt, and then shook her head. "I....it's nothing. Yes, I talked to them, but it's not even worth bringing up." she murmured. 

"But you're upset..."

"Jihyo." Mina looked at her pleadingly. "Can we please drop it for now? We came out here to get away from all that, right?" 

Jihyo wanted to push, wanted to see what was bothering Mina so much and _do_ something about it. Mina didn't deserve to be upset on her own expedition. But if this is what she wanted....

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. Let's forget about it." said Jihyo eventually, and a fleeting look of relief passed over Mina's face before she stepped away from the car. Her smile was overly cheerful, with deliberate jubilation. 

"How about we go enjoy this beautiful spot, huh?" Mina began wandering away before Jihyo could respond, towards where Jeongyeon was giving Momo a piggyback ride and Chaeyoung was examining a trio of brown statues near the water's edge. 

Jihyo sighed and followed suit. "Right behind you." 

... 

**_Residence Inn_ **

**_Helena, Montana_ **

**_2 PM MST_ **

"Remember kids, simplicity is key. You don't need a bunch of extra stuff if the basic footage will do the job. And make sure you back it up-" 

"At least three times." Sana, Dahyun, and Tzuyu recited in unison. Nayeon nodded in satisfaction, peering back at her computer. She and Dahyun had been working on editing their footage of the last few weeks, when Sana and Tzuyu had come by Nayeon's room to ask her something. Nayeon had invited them to stay and get some experience. They'd agreed, but it had become a _tad_ awkward. 

For starters, Sana hadn't really spoken to Dahyun since their hangout (date? not a date?) in Boise. It wasn't like she was ignoring Dahyun, and she was friendly enough, but there was none of the excessive closeness. Sana sat more with Jihyo or Nayeon now, choosing to ask her photographic questions to Momo. Sometimes Dahyun still caught Sana looking at her wistfully, but she was completely bewildered as to why. What had she done? 

Even now, Sana currently sat on the bed next to Tzuyu, her head nestled on Tzuyu's shoulder and her gaze fixed on Nayeon's computer. Dahyun frowned from her position at the desk. She was trying to focus on her work, but every time she glanced back at her keyboard and then up again at Sana and Tzuyu, her heart throbbed a little. 

"Sana, are you okay?" Nayeon asked, looking up from her screen. Sana sat up, instantly smiling in her usual cute manner....but it didn't reach her eyes. 

"Yeah, I'm okay. Why do you ask?" 

"You just seem not yourself." Nayeon responded, her fingers stilling on the keys. Sana paused, her eyes flickering to Dahyun for the briefest second, and then she slid off the bed. 

"I'm just kind of tired. Do you mind if I head back to my room? I'll catch up on all of this later." 

"Uh, sure. No problem. Hope you feel better." said Nayeon, bemusement in her expression as Sana smiled at them, and slipped out of the room. She didn't look at Dahyun again. Dahyun sighed, meeting Tzuyu's gaze, who looked frustrated. 

"Dahyun, you better sort that situation out soon." Nayeon said, returning her attention to the computer. 

"Uh, what?" 

"You and Sana. You need to do something about it." 

"There isn't anything to fix!" Dahyun protested, heat chasing its way up her neck. Was everyone on the team aware of her feelings besides Sana? 

"Exactly." said Nayeon, and she looked up. Dahyun was surprised at the amount of exasperation and plain irritation on her face. 

"Let's not keep playing this game, Dahyun-ah. You know damn well that you and Sana have a little thing going on. Refusing to acknowledge it is just pushing her further away, and eventually she's not going to come back." 

"I- what?" Damn, was it that bad? 

Nayeon rolled her eyes and shut the laptop, leaning forward. "You want a sign that Sana likes you? Fine. Here it is. _Sana is crazy about you._ I have no idea how you think she's been into anything or anyone _but_ you since we started. And you want to know why she's been so distant lately? Because you won't take a hint and ask her out." 

Dahyun looked down, embarrassment warming the tips of her ears, but also a little shame. It was painfully obvious that Sana felt something for her besides friendship, but it was just so hard to believe that she was that into Dahyun. Nothing was particularly special about her, so why would Sana feel like this about her? 

"I....you're right." Dahyun mumbled. "I just-" 

"Nope. No excuses. You need to figure your shit out with her, stat." Nayeon cut her off, pointing a stern finger at her before opening her laptop again. Tzuyu was watching her curiously. 

"So are you gonna tell Mina the same thing?" Tzuyu asked. 

Dahyun's gaze shot to Nayeon, who snapped her head so fast to Tzuyu that her neck cricked. " _Fuck!_ What now?" she asked incredulously. Tzuyu poked at the bedspread. 

"I mean, I've seen how you both look at each other when you think nobody's paying attention. You clearly are into her." 

Nayeon spluttered with indignation, and it gave Dahyun enough time to regain her own composure. 

"I am _not._ Okay, maybe I think she's hot. And maybe I enjoy riling her up more than the rest of you, but that doesn't mean I- I-" 

Tzuyu merely smiled and leaned across to pat Nayeon on the leg before getting up. 

"Keep telling yourself that, Nayeon-ah." 

**_Highway 87_ **

**_Cascade County_ **

**_6 PM MST_ **

"Do people even hitchhike anymore? Is that still a thing?" Jeongyeon wondered, yawning as she rested a hand on the top of the steering wheel. 

"I don't know. Seems pretty risky to me." said Momo, zooming in on the vegetation lining either side of the road. They hadn't seen another car in a while, and the sun was starting to go down. They'd spent the day by the Great Springs, and gone to an art museum Chaeyoung was excited about, but now they were back to business, speeding down this lonely stretch of highway, waiting for Mina to start her introduction. 

"Mina?" Chaeyoung asked from the backseat. "Are you ready?" 

Mina didn't answer, turning her phone over and over in her hands in the passenger seat. Jihyo eyed her with concern. She'd been almost entirely silent all day, only responding if someone directly asked her something. She hadn't taken any note of the museum or the springs, and she barely seemed interested in this part either. 

"Mina." Jihyo said, a little more forcefully. Mina blinked and lifted her head. 

"What?" 

"Are you ready? Momo and Chaeyoung are." 

"Oh. Right. Yeah. Go ahead and start, guys." Mina answered. 

Momo and Chaeyoung glanced at each other, before counting down and beginning to film. 

"Here we are on Highway 87, in Cascade County, Montana. We're driving past the seasonal lake known as Black Horse Lake, which at first, seems like a mundane, normal location." Mina began. Her tone was distracted, not at all like her usual crispness or ardor. _I really need to talk to her,_ Jihyo thought. 

"But along this path, something rather disturbing lingers. The Phantom Hitchhiker of-" Mina broke off as her phone buzzed, and Jihyo was surprised to see her glance down and then make the cut off motion across her throat. 

"Wait, what?" Momo questioned, lowering her camera slightly. Mina had never stopped them in the middle of production before. 

"Stop rolling." said Mina absently, her expression twisting as she typed something. Jeongyeon glanced in the rearview mirror at Jihyo, the same bewilderment and concern she felt reflected in Jeongyeon's eyes. Chaeyoung and Momo shut off their cameras. 

"Um, are we still going to-"

"Just stop!" Mina snapped, finally looking up at them. There was a fragile edge to her anger that made Jihyo sad, where she should've been offended. 

"Okay..." said Chaeyoung softly, cradling her camera. 

Nobody spoke for at least ten minutes, and Jihyo was all too aware of the tension brimming between Mina and the rest of the crew. They couldn't have such a divide if they were going to keep working together. She was about to speak up when Jeongyeon broke the silence. 

"Huh." 

"What?" said Momo, lifting her head from where she'd been resting it against the window. 

"Someone's standing on the side of the road." 

Jihyo's head snapped up to the windshield, where she could indeed see a figure in the distance. 

"Oh _shit."_ Chaeyoung whispered. Mina didn't even spare a glance from her texting. 

"Are we still near Black Horse Lake?" Jihyo asked. The man was just standing there, clad in denim from head to toe, his long black hair whipping against the wind. 

"Yeah, but I'm not stopping for that guy." Jeongyeon said scornfully. "He's probably some local dude who heard about whatever legend this is, and is trying to freak people out." 

Jihyo looked uneasily back at the man, who wasn't moving at all, even as they approached, and she couldn't really make out his face...

"There's nothing even worth filming." Momo sighed, resting her head back against the window as they grew closer and closer to the man. 

"Well, we're gonna turn around up here." Jeongyeon declared, turning to look out the back windshield. "And we can-" 

_WHUMP._

All five of them screamed as the man's body slammed into the windshield, rolling over the hood and off of the glass onto the road. Jeongyeon stomped on the brake, her knuckles white as they gripped the steering wheel. Jihyo's heart pounded so hard that she could barely breathe, the blood pulsing insanely fast in her brain. 

"We just _killed a man!"_ Chaeyoung shrieked, fumbling with her seat belt. 

They all scrambled to get out of the car, Momo and Chaeyoung whimpering and Jeongyeon paler than paper. Jihyo swallowed thickly as she stepped out onto the highway, unsure of how damaged the vehicle would be if....they'd actually _killed_ a person. But hadn't he jumped onto the car? So they could claim vehicular manslaughter? But it wasn't their _fault._

"Where's his body?" Momo asked, her voice shaking. 

Jihyo stared around the highway, looking for the inevitable bloodstains, the smeared hitchhiker, but there was nothing. No sign that there had ever been a man in the first place. 

"What in the actual fuck." Jeongyeon whispered. Her hands were shaking violently, and she paced around the Suburban several times, gazing wildly around the unmarked road. "How- he-" 

"There's not even any damage to the hood." Chaeyoung muttered, tracing her fingers across the windshield in disbelief. 

"But I _saw_ him." Jeongyeon began, her voice choked. "I _hit_ him. His body flew across the goddamn car-"

"That's how the legend goes." Mina spoke up from beside the Suburban, her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the driver's door. She looked surprisingly calm, the calmest she'd looked all day. 

"The tale suggests that what we just saw was the restless spirit of a Native American man who was killed in this very manner many years ago. And now, he is doomed to relive this same hellish moment forever, forced to repeat the end of his life over and over." 

Chaeyoung and Momo looked at each other, then at Jihyo, confused and horrified. Jeongyeon looked on the edge of losing it. 

"You knew this was gonna happen?" she snapped at Mina. Mina blinked, tensing at the naked anger in Jeongyeon's voice. 

"It's a legend, Jeongyeon-"

"That _legend_ just bounced off the hood of our fucking car! And you knew that he was going to do that? And you were too busy on your _fucking_ phone to warn us?" Jeongyeon shouted. Jihyo had never seen her lose control like this, and she could tell Mina was about to snap back. 

"All right, enough! I don't know what happened, but there's no body, Jeong. We didn't kill anyone. There's nothing wrong with the car. We can just drive back to Helena, and call it a night, okay? We tried." Jihyo said firmly. Jeongyeon glared at her momentarily, but after she looked at Momo and Chaeyoung over her shoulder, she sighed deeply and nodded. 

"Right. Okay." 

"Give me the keys." Jihyo said quietly, as the others began to climb back into the car. Jeongyeon paused, a stubborn look settling over her expression, but Jihyo could see the trembling in her hands still. 

"I'm fine." Jeongyeon muttered. 

"No, you're not. You had a bad shock, okay, Jeong? It's okay to admit that. Go get in the back. I've got this." Jihyo told her. Jeongyeon swallowed, taking one last look at the road, and then with an almost imperceptible shudder, dropped the keys in Jihyo's palm and went to climb in beside Momo. 

Jihyo took a deep breath, pressing the heel of her hand against her forehead. This trip was turning into something much more intense than she had anticipated. And there was so much left to cover...

"We'll be okay." she whispered, before pulling the driver's door open. 

**_Residence Inn_ **

**_8:15 PM MST_ **

Nayeon wasn't sure what had happened out in Cascade County, but the ghost crew was not themselves when they returned. Jeongyeon and Momo went straight to their room, Jeongyeon muttering about being exhausted, and Chaeyoung had gone off with Tzuyu and Dahyun (who still hadn't talked to Sana, as far as Nayeon could tell) to discuss something urgent. She'd tried to ask Jihyo, but she'd merely attempted a smile and said, "It was just a long drive. A very long drive." 

And as for Mina? She'd disappeared as soon as they'd come back into the hotel. Nayeon had been wondering why she hadn't texted back all day- she had about three or four songs to show her. And part of her- a little, tiny bit- missed their conversations. 

She hesitated in the hall, figuring she should go back to her room and let everybody sleep on whatever the hell happened, but it was gonna bug her. Nayeon knew if she tried to lay in bed and forget about it, the wondering would settle under her skin and she'd never be able to sleep. Nayeon rubbed at her eyes and began wandering down the hall. So she was curious about what had gone down. No big deal. She'd just find Mina and ask her. 

(And maybe another small part of her was hurt that Mina hadn't texted back. Just a tiny bit). 

She knew Mina hadn't gone back to her room with Jihyo, so where could she be? Probably not at the pool, or the gym, or in the lobby. Nayeon frowned as she went downstairs, looking around thoughtfully. 

_If I was Mina, where would I go?_ Nayeon thought. If not to her room, perhaps somewhere else she could be alone? Nayeon glanced at the front doors, and on a whim, decided to check outside. 

The inside was lit up with brazen yellow lights from out here, and it was rather serene, with the stars scattered across the sky and the subtle sound of a guitar riff...

Nayeon followed the sound of the music until she found what she was looking for: Mina sitting at a table next to the building, her chin propped on her arms as she stared down at her phone unseeingly. 

"Hey, stranger." Nayeon said, pulling out the chair across from her. Mina's eyes flickered up to her face, and Nayeon was startled at how hollow they looked. 

"Do you have to bother me right now? The whole reason I came outside was to get away from people, and you insist on coming after me?" Mina snapped. She sounded like she was trying to be angry, but it wasn't working. No sincerity behind it. Nayeon propped her chin on her hand. 

"I was mildly concerned, but now that I'm actually seeing you, I'm almost majorly concerned. What's the deal?" 

Mina sighed unevenly and sat up, pressing her hands over her eyes. "Can't you just leave me alone?" she mumbled. 

"You had all day to stew in your misery. I know you didn't talk to Jihyo about it, because she wouldn't look that upset otherwise." Nayeon replied. "So you're stuck with me." 

Mina just stared down at the table, and Nayeon couldn't help thinking of what a shame it was, to have such distress on such a lovely face. For a good long while, neither spoke, and Nayeon was considering taking her own phone out when Mina spoke up. 

"I talked to my parents. On the phone for the first time in a while." 

Nayeon looked up. Mina was still looking away, her leg bouncing anxiously. 

"I figured they'd want to know how I was doing. Maybe hear my voice, you know? But when I talked to them, all they wanted to know about was my progress. How much I've actually documented, how much I've filmed and captured. And I told them we're doing fine, but that wasn't enough for them." 

Nayeon was silent as Mina went on. She had never thought about what her home life might be like before this. Surely someone so spoiled and well off had nothing to worry about? 

"I told them I was doing the best I could, and I had faith in my team. I even told them about _you."_ Mina's gaze locked with hers, something shimmering in their depths. "How ridiculous is that? Out of all of us, I thought of you first. Even that didn't seem to matter to them. They just told me, _warned_ me that I better have something worthwhile after this is over. And that was it." 

It was unnerving to see Mina so vulnerable and lost. She'd always carried herself with an air of self assurance and haughtiness, at least to Nayeon. But she was really just a person, just a girl. 

"Part of the reason I even agreed to do this trip is to show that I'm more than just my status. To show that I have talent and worth beyond that. I don't _need_ their approval to accomplish anything....but they don't pay attention enough for me to prove it." Mina sighed, rubbing a hand across her forehead. Nayeon couldn't stop looking at her, at how ethereal she was under the starlight. She seemed so human right now. 

"And here I am, pouring my heart out to Im Nayeon." Mina laughed bitterly, looking away and wiping at her eyes. "I don't even know why I bothered. I know exactly what you think of me." 

Nayeon wasn't sure where it came from, but one look at Mina, and the words came spilling out. 

"Being open with anyone scares me. Even Jihyo or Jeongyeon. I always feel like I'm _that_ close to failure, and if I let myself hope, and tell other people, I won't succeed." Nayeon said quietly. _What are you doing?_ her mind whispered. _You're talking to Mina about this?_ And normally, Nayeon would agree, but the way Mina was watching her was causing her entire body to hum, an electric feeling running under her skin. She was hyper aware of everything around them. 

"But here you are, being open with me." said Mina softly. The wild, haunted look in her gaze had softened into something curious and almost tender. Nayeon cleared her throat and leaned back, suddenly feeling entirely uncomfortable. 

'Yeah, I guess." 

Mina cocked her head, and Nayeon could _not_ handle this fucking tension anymore. 

"What song is that?" 

Mina took a beat to answer. "How To Fight Loneliness by Wilco."

"Sounds kind of depressing." 

"Well, I was in a mood before you interrupted." Mina retorted, sounding more like her old self. More because she wanted to distract herself than because she disliked the song, Nayeon reached over and clicked the song off. 

"No more of that. It's about time we go back in, yeah?" Nayeon suggested, standing up and pushing her chair in. Mina considered her, and then nodded, pushing her own chair in and running a hand through her hair. 

"It's not doing me any good to keep brooding. And I do owe Jihyo an explanation." she mused. 

"Are you going to tell me what happened in Cascade County?" Nayeon asked as she followed her to the front doors. Mina paused, looking back over her shoulder, and then smiled. The full, genuine smile that Nayeon was, well, fond of. 

"I might. If you keep on my good side, that is." 

She winked and went inside. Nayeon bit her lip so hard it almost bled. _This isn't good. Fuck, fuck, fuck._

_Repeat after me. You do not have feelings for Myoui Mina. You do NOT have feelings for Myoui Mina._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have anything important to say, except 
> 
> 1.) Welcome back Jeongyeon, I missed you bb 
> 
> 2.) Happy birthday to my baby Jihyo, the best leader and mother of 8 in the game 
> 
> Next stop is Wyoming, and the pace is gonna be picking up from here on out


	6. Ghost Ships, Muffins, & A Whole Lot Of Panic

_**Staybridge Suites** _

_**Cheyenne, Wyoming** _

_**10:30 AM MST** _

Dahyun sighed with exasperation as she tried her hotel key card for the fourth time. It _should_ be a pretty simple process, but between her own internal distraction and the external factor of her hands refusing to cooperate, she was getting fed up. It would be really annoying to have to text Chaeyoung or Tzuyu from the other side of the door just to let her in...

"Come on, _work!"_ she growled, almost banging her head in frustration as she was denied yet again. _Guess I have no choice..._

Dahyun pulled her phone out and scrolled for Tzuyu's number. _If only I could stop thinking about-_

 _"_ Hey, Dahyunnie." 

Speak of the distraction itself. Dahyun looked up to see Sana coming down the hall towards her, dressed in a simple black tank top and sweatpants, looking almost offensively good in casual attire. 

"Hey..." said Dahyun, a bit nervously. This would be their first one-on-one conversation since Boise, which was partly Dahyun's fault. _(_ Okay, mostly Dahyun's fault). 

"What are you doing?" Sana asked, halting a few feet away. Further than she would've stopped before, which is, again, on Dahyun. 

"Uh, my key card isn't really working. I'm just having one of those days, I guess. So I was texting one of them to let me in." Dahyun said, trying for a weak smile. "What about you?" 

Sana ran a hand through her hair, where it settled unfairly back in place and somehow made her look even better. "I went for a run earlier to have a little time to myself. Then Nayeon asked if I wanted to grab breakfast, so I'm waiting for her now." 

"Ah." said Dahyun, and cursed herself for how politely indifferent she sounded. Was this always how she spoke around Sana? No wonder Sana assumed she wasn't interested. Sana just nodded, checking the time on her phone and looking down the hall. 

"Listen," Dahyun began. She could sense that this was the crucial moment, even through Sana's air of determined casualness. _Now or never, Dahyun._ Sana returned her gaze to Dahyun. 

"I know things have been....off between us since Idaho, and I don't like it. I've been pretty....I want to talk to you about something. About something with _us."_ _Good. You're doing good._

Sana was looking at her expectantly now, the way she had in Idaho, but she didn't say anything, which kind of surprised Dahyun. 

"So I was wondering if we could? I'm going out with the ghost crew to Pathfinder Dam this afternoon, and I thought maybe we could, uh, talk." Dahyun finished awkwardly. 

Sana kept their gazes locked for one long, never-ending moment, and then nodded slightly, to Dahyun's relief. "I'm going too. Jeongyeon and Jihyo need a break, if you ask me. Especially Jeongyeon. So, yeah, we can talk later." She smiled, a full and real smile that made Dahyun's shoulders sink in reassurance. 

"Great. So should we-" 

A door swung open down the hall, and Nayeon stepped out, still in pajamas, yawning and ruffling her hair. She slowed at the sight of Sana and Dahyun, a slow smile spreading over her face as she looked between them. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked. 

Dahyun wanted to shove her back into her room, but she shook her head quickly as Sana shrugged. "We were just talking. You ready?" 

"Definitely, I'm starving. You coming, Dahyun-ah?" Nayeon said, glancing at her as she came up to Sana's side. 

"Um, no. I already ate, and I need to get ready for later. But I'll talk to you later, Sana." 

"Right. Later then, Dahyunnie!" Sana replied, and turned to walk away without another word, Nayeon following after an amused look in Dahyun's direction. 

_Well, that was step one,_ Dahyun thought as she pulled out her phone again. _Just need to..._

She couldn't help looking up again, and as Sana strode away, it did seem like she put a little extra sway in her hips, just enough for Dahyun's eyes to be drawn to her ass. 

_She knows exactly what she's doing._ For some reason, that made Dahyun giggle, and she was still laughing when Tzuyu finally opened the door. 

"Um, Dahyun-ah, are you okay?" 

Dahyun cleared her throat and wiped at her eyes. "Yup! Fine. We have something to talk about." 

... 

"I have a problem, Sana." Nayeon groaned as they sat down at a table near the coffee bar of the hotel. Sana took an appreciative sip of her hot chocolate before raising her eyes. 

"And what would that be?" 

Nayeon pushed her muffin around her plate, unwilling to admit _it,_ even if it had been gnawing at her all night. Well, longer than that. It was _embarrassing._

"Do we have to play twenty questions to get the answer out of you? Because I'm not quite in the mood for that." Sana said, unwrapping her own muffin and breaking off a piece. Nayeon groaned again and buried her head in her hands. 

"I think I might like someone." she mumbled into her fingers, her cheeks starting to flame even from that simple declaration. 

"Really?" Bless Sana's apparent radar ears, as Nayeon had no idea how she'd understood that muffled statement. "Who is it?" 

Nayeon dropped her hands. Sana was watching her curiously, breaking off more chunks of muffin and chewing them delicately. 

"You can't talk to anyone about this." Nayeon warned. "Even Momo or _Dahyunnie."_ She drew the name out mockingly, in the way Sana always did, but Sana seemed unaffected. Nayeon felt almost immediately guilty after. She knew how Sana felt about Dahyun. Sweet, confused, thickheaded Dahyun. 

"It stays between us. Right here." Sana held out her pinky, and Nayeon locked their fingers before taking a very deep breath and fixing her gaze on the tablecloth. 

"....Mina."

"I'm sorry?" 

"It's Mina." Nayeon muttered, and felt like drowning herself in the dregs of Sana's hot chocolate. Holding it inside was one thing, but admitting out loud that she most likely had feelings for that _infuriating_ rich girl was an entirely new level of shame. To her surprise, Sana didn't laugh. She glanced up to see Sana still watching her intently, chewing another bit of muffin. 

"What makes you think that?" 

Nayeon sighed. "Do we _really_ have to go through this?" 

"I'm just trying to help you process. But no, not if you don't want to." Sana squished the muffin wrapper into a ball and steepled her fingers under her chin. Nayeon took a piece of her own muffin, munching absently as she thought of Mina. 

"Okay, well, the first thing is that I've started to notice her looks. Like outside of just a casual Oh, she's pretty. She's _attractive._ With her dark hair and those moles on her face and-" 

"Where?" Sana asked. Nayeon blinked. 

"You haven't noticed? One on her nose, and on her forehead, and right above her lip, and-"

Nayeon cut off as Sana grinned widely. 

"Shut up." Nayeon snapped. Was she blushing? _Fuck._

"I didn't say anything." Sana replied.

"Right, whatever. Well, besides that, we started texting in Arizona about music. And, well, she's got some good taste. She appreciates In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel just as much as me, and we talked about Riders On The Storm by The Doors, and I even got her to admit she likes some John Mayer-" 

Nayeon broke off again, aware she was rambling and hated it. This is what fucking Mina did to her. 

Sana nodded thoughtfully. "So you think she's attractive and you share similar music taste. What else?" 

Nayeon hesitated, not wanting to admit she'd found herself spilling her guts to Mina without even meaning to, but Sana was just trying to help...

"We talked in Montana, like face to face. And you know I don't really like to talk about certain things. But with her, it was just....easy. I was _open_ with her, Sana. And it was so weird, but I didn't immediately want to run away." Nayeon put her head back in her hands, overwhelming confusion starting to pound in her brain. 

Sana was quiet, and then reached over to take a chunk of Nayeon's muffin. "You know, it's not the end of the world for you to like Mina, Nayeon-ah." she said casually. 

"It could be the end of _my_ world!" Nayeon protested. Did no one understand how serious this was? 

"I know you two have never gotten along, but Mina is actually pretty great if you get to know her. There are worse people for you to be attracted to. And you _are_ a lot like each other." 

"You sound like Jihyo." Nayeon mumbled, resting her head on her arms. Sana pulled Nayeon's muffin plate towards her. 

"Well, it's true. I still don't think this is a crisis." 

"We're stuck together for the _whole_ summer, Sana! It was bad enough when I hated her, but now that I feel.... _things_ for her. Ugh. It makes me want to hate her even more." Nayeon growled. Sana reached over and brushed the hair out of Nayeon's eyes, looking sympathetic. 

"Why don't you work on being friends first?" she suggested. 

"What?" 

"Well, you're stuck in this odd space between enemies and, uh, something else. But you don't really know Mina, because you've never given yourself the chance to. So if you spend some time with her alone, and get to know her, you could learn about her and decide if you really are into her, or just, I dunno, bored." Sana shrugged and finished off the muffin. 

Nayeon sat up, considering the proposal. It wasn't the worst idea, and she had to admit she'd grown more curious about Mina since their conversation in Montana. Plus, they were staying an extra day in Wyoming, and it couldn't hurt to explore the state. 

"When did you get so wise, Sana?" Nayeon asked admiringly, leaning back in her chair. Sana beamed and threw her hands up. 

"It's a gift." 

"Sure. All that talent and yet you can't get Dahyun to pull her head out of her ass." Nayeon snorted. 

"For your information, she asked me to have a talk later. Just us."

"Wow, only took what, a century?" 

Sana rolled her eyes and grabbed their trash, pushing away from the table. 

"By the way, you still owe me breakfast, you pig!" Nayeon shouted after her as Sana walked away. 

**_Near Pathfinder Dam, by the North Platte River_ **

**_Alcova, Wyoming_ **

**_4 PM MST_ **

Dahyun knelt at the edge of the riverside, lifting her camera to her eye as she snapped pictures of the roaring white mist pouring from the Pathfinder Dam. The sound, the view of the lush greenery covering the brown rocks making up the hills across the river, and the soft breeze rustling the grass at her feet....Dahyun figured this might be what true peace felt like. 

"Dahyun-ah!"

She reluctantly looked away from the water to see Chaeyoung, Tzuyu, and Sana standing a few feet away. "Are you coming? Mina's ready for the documentation." Chaeyoung asked, pointing to where Mina, Nayeon, and Momo were gathered, Nayeon fussing with the stabilizer for her camera. 

"Yeah, I'll be right there." Dahyun answered. Her stomach squirmed at the sight of Sana, but so far, Sana had been oddly formal. The entire three hour drive here, she hadn't snuggled up to anyone or gone off on one of her tangents. She'd spent most of the time in the backseat with her earbuds in, either dozing or watching the scenery. 

Dahyun walked over to the others. "You excited? Mina seemed particularly interested in this spot." she asked Sana as they started towards Mina. 

"Yeah, I think I am. I'm finally feeling confident enough to handle a camera on my own, thanks to you and Momo." Sana replied, smiling a little. She patted the camera dangling around her neck, and Dahyun found herself staring. She always knew Sana was pretty, but in this environment, with the simplicity and the way the sunlight made her eyes sparkle....it was almost breathtaking. 

"Well, that's....good. Glad I could help." Dahyun said lamely. Sana gave her another quick smile- closed lipped, not reaching her eyes- and it was so odd to her. A formal Sana was a Sana Dahyun couldn't understand. 

Momo looked up as they all approached, cheerful as ever. She seemed to have recovered from whatever happened in Cascade County, although none of them, even Mina, had talked about it still. "Sana, are you gonna be filming?" she questioned. 

"Nope, just taking some snapshots. That's all on you guys." Sana replied. Chaeyoung came up on Momo's other side. 

"Well, I'm ready. Mina, you set?" Chaeyoung asked. 

"Yup." Mina called back, walking over to the riverside. 

"You'll need to speak a little louder than usual, so we can hear you over the water." Nayeon instructed. She didn't seem quite able to look Mina in the eyes, and Dahyun could only wonder for a moment why that was, before they started rolling. 

"Alcova, Wyoming. We're next to the Pathfinder Dam, which spills into the North Platte river. Seems like a harmless scenic spot to marvel at nature's wonders." Mina began, spreading her arms to indicate the beauty behind her. Chaeyoung, Momo, and Nayeon circled around her, entirely in work mode, while Sana and Tzuyu strayed back. Dahyun could occasionally hear the click of their camera shutters. 

"It may come as a shock, but beyond the mildness of Wyoming's exterior, there lurks some particularly creepy tales. Perhaps the most interesting is the account of the Platte River Ship of Death." Mina continued, beginning to make her way down towards the dam. The crew followed her diligently. 

"Starting all the way back in 1862, the first reported witness was a man named Leon Webster, who saw a ghostly looking sailing ship materialize out of frosty, spectral fog on the river. When he took a closer look, he saw the ship's crew, who were covered in frost as well, huddled around something on the ship's deck. The crew drew back, and Webster could see that they were crowding around a corpse- a body he recognized as his own fiancee." 

Dahyun shuddered involuntarily, even in the direct sunlight beaming down. Mina was far too good at making these legends sound sinister. 

"When Webster returned home a month later, he found that his fiancee had died, on the same day of his experience. And his encounter was not the only one. In the two reports that came after his, the stories remained the same. First, the mist or the fog on the river became thicker. When the person made out the crew on board, they recognized a loved one, who perished soon after that event." 

To her credit, Tzuyu didn't snort, although Dahyun could see her roll her eyes from across the grass. Mina paused at the very edge, looking up at the mist spraying over the water. 

"It seems to appear every 25 years, according to the accounts...which means the ship is long overdue for another sighting. But if you _do_ observe it, you might want to be careful about seeing what's on deck." Mina slashed across her neck, and the crew straightened up uneasily. 

"I admit, I thought the name sounded goofy, but that's actually kind of disturbing." Chaeyoung said, looking down the river and fidgeting with the straps of her camera. 

"Don't worry, Chaeng, it's just a legend." said Mina cheerfully, patting her shoulder as she walked past. "Or maybe not, and that's what we're going to discover." 

"I need a snack." Chaeyoung mumbled, rubbing at her eyes and starting for the Suburban. "Anyone want to come back with me?" 

"I'm gonna stay out here and take some more nature shots." Dahyun answered as the rest of the crew headed for the car. 

"Take your time." Chaeyoung shouted back. Dahyun looked over at the mist, crouching at the edge again and adjusting her lens. What a gorgeous spot this was. Despite all the chaos and the uncertainty surrounding so much of this trip, she didn't feel sorry about coming. She'd gotten to spend so much time with Chaeyoung and Tzuyu, grown closer to the rest of them, seen some truly amazing sights....she couldn't say she honestly regretted any of it. 

_Click._

She lowered the camera, sure she hadn't made that sound, and glanced over to see Sana kneeling at the edge as well, entirely focused on the rippling water. _Now's your chance. Everyone else is at the car._

Dahyun fiddled with the buttons on her camera, inhaling deeply. _You can do this. Keep your cool._

"You like the view too?" she asked, walking over and internally cringing at how lame that sounded. Sana didn't seem to mind, taking one more snapshot before rising to her feet and nodding. 

"It's very idyllic here."

"Idyllic? There you go again with the big words." Dahyun chuckled. Sana swatted at her playfully, and Dahyun let out a quiet sigh of relief. This felt more like how they had been, none of the formal awkwardness. 

"I'm just saying. It feels like we're looking at a living painting or something." Sana said quietly, looking out at the water again. Dahyun was honestly trying to keep her focus on the conversation, but Minatozaki Sana in the sunlight, with a serious expression and confident aura....Dahyun didn't think she'd ever seen anything so photogenic in her life. 

"You have a really nice way with words." Dahyun replied softly. It wasn't just Sana's voice, although it was so soft and amiable that listening to her felt like slipping on an old, comfortable sweater. It was _how_ she spoke, how she considered each word and sincerity rang out in everything she said. 

Sana turned to look at her, and Dahyun swallowed at the light in her eyes. It'd been a while since she'd really looked Sana in the eyes, and she needed to get used to how Sana observed people- like they were the most important person in the world. 

"Do I? That's the first time anybody's ever told me that. Thank you, Dahyunnie." 

_Dahyunnie..._

_Okay, it's time._

"Sana, I-" Dahyun stopped immediately to shiver. Damn, it had gotten cold out of nowhere. Cold? In summer? Nah, she was tripping. But man, did it feel like the wind had picked up or something...

"Sorry. Um, Sana, I'm-" Sana's eyes widened as she looked at something over Dahyun's shoulder, and her mouth dropped open. 

"What?" Dahyun questioned. 

"Um..."

Dahyun turned around to see the mist expanding. Quite further out than before, almost rolling over the water towards them. But that wasn't important. She needed to get these feelings out or she never would. 

"Sana, I know I've been kinda distant lately, or we both have been, and I'm not blaming you, but-" 

"Dahyunnie." Sana interrupted, taking a step back. A flash of frustration surged through Dahyun as she shivered again. Sana sure wasn't making this any easier. 

"Hang on, let me-" 

" _Dahyun."_ The urgency in Sana's tone was enough to make Dahyun pause, and finally turn back around. 

The mist was now formed into a grey-white ball of fog, almost shimmering. And as Dahyun watched incredulously, the front of the mist began to split open as the mast of a vessel appeared. Its sails were ragged, the wood chipped and rundown, but the glint of the mist seemed to clinge to its exterior. 

Dahyun frowned. "Where the hell did that come from? There's nothing on the other side of that mist except the dam-"

"Dahyun!" Sana whispered intensely. "We need to _go."_

"Uh, what-" 

All the hair rose on Dahyun's arms as she began to make out the shapes of _people_ on board. Formed in a tight circle, looking down on something. 

_"Run!"_ Sana shouted, grabbing Dahyun's arm and tugging her away. Dahyun snapped out of her funk and sprinted after Sana, the chill of the mist seeming to run icy claws down her spine as they escaped. Sana didn't stop running until they were no longer in eyesight of the ship, and Dahyun almost hacked up a lung trying to catch her breath. 

"Holy- shit-" she panted. She'd seen and heard a _lot_ of weird shit since they'd started, but a fucking _ghost ship_? And what if they had seen on board? Who would've appeared to Dahyun? 

"I- that was- Mina was _right."_ Dahyun gasped. For some reason, she couldn't calm down, couldn't process what the fuck was going on, and it didn't help how Sana was staring at her, hands on hips and her chest heaving. God, she was so lovely with reddened cheeks and-

"Sorry, I don't know why I'm....I was trying to tell you that-" Dahyun rambled, starting to pace in a tiny circle and her heart thumping so fast, so _hard_ she wondered how Sana couldn't hear it. 

"That was crazy, huh? I can't believe we didn't get it on film, I didn't, oh God Tzuyu is going to make fun of us, and I-" 

Sana's hands were on her shoulders, and Dahyun stopped pacing. Sana's eyes were almost black with how much they'd darkened, and her scent was wafting toward Dahyun in waves that made her head swim, and _holy shit_ she was so close. Dahyun found that she couldn't speak, merely staring at Sana as her hand trailed from Dahyun's shoulder to her cheek, the other rubbing gently over Dahyun's shoulder blade. 

"Dahyunnie," Sana breathed. "Can I kiss you?" 

Dahyun's brain short circuited at the question. Of all the things she'd imagined might happen today, this was not one of them. But with the way Sana was looking at her, the electricity humming between them so intense it was almost tangible, and the way Sana's thumb was running over her shoulder, how could she say no? She nodded dumbly. 

Sana smiled slightly, eyes dropping to Dahyun's lips, and when she leaned in, Dahyun almost choked. The feeling of her mouth against Dahyun's- _Minatozaki Sana's-_ was warm and soft and, goddamn, she was kissing _Sana._

Sana was just as good at kissing as she was at everything else- she didn't immediately overwhelm Dahyun, instead sucking softly on her bottom lip, pressing gentle little pecks against Dahyun's mouth, her hand winding into Dahyun's hair. Dahyun became so lost in the sensations, in the dark and the heat and how great everything felt, that it took her a moment to realize Sana had pulled away. 

She gradually opened her eyes to see Sana only a few inches away, her gaze still dark, but also incredibly soft, adorably so. Dahyun cleared her throat, embarrassed at how many times it took, but Sana put a finger over her mouth before she could speak. 

"I hope that clears some things up for you, Dahyunnie." Sana said softly. "Now, the ball's in your court." 

Dahyun's legs were embarrassingly weak as she tried to pull herself together. But Sana's lips were slightly swollen now, and holy _shit._ Sana seemed to pick up on her mentality, and smiled before leaning forward and pecking Dahyun's cheek. 

"I think they should know about what we just saw, don't you?" She began to head for the Suburban without checking to see if Dahyun was following. 

Dahyun wondered which thing Chaeyoung and Tzuyu would have a harder time believing: that she'd seen the Platte River Ship of Death, or that she'd just made out with Sana. 

...

"They're sure taking their sweet ass time." Chaeyoung grumbled, pouring the last crumbs from her bag of chips into her mouth. 

"Maybe they saw the _gHoOoSsST_ ship." Tzuyu suggested, laying her head on Chaeyoung's lap and nibbling on her own chips. 

"If they did, I hope they got it on film. So far, our footage looks mildly intriguing at _best."_ Momo said, flipping through her camera clips. Nayeon was barely paying attention to any of their conversation. Her conversation with Sana was taking up way too much space in her brain, and as she watched Mina settle against the hood of the Suburban, she didn't enjoy the weird fluttery feeling that settled in her stomach. 

_You're worse than Dahyun. This isn't a date. Like she's really going to say yes._

"Guys, I'll be right back." she told them as she opened the passenger door. She wasn't sure they'd even heard her over their discussion of snacks, but whatever. She tried. Mina looked up as Nayeon approached, arching an eyebrow. Nayeon took a deep breath and opened her mouth- but her goddamn throat seemed to have sealed shut. 

When Nayeon didn't say anything, Mina went back to watching the leaves rustling on the trees, although Nayeon could sense she was waiting for her to speak up. _She probably won't want to. Just get it over with._

"So, um, hey. I've been thinking, and I've found that I kind of like it better when we're not arguing all the time. Or insulting each other. And I figured it's time we, uh, bury the hatchet. So-" 

Mina was looking at her again, and for some reason, it totally unnerved Nayeon. She'd seen this girl a thousand times, why was she _now_ finding it impossible to speak clearly around her? Maybe because Mina had never looked at her like she cared what Nayeon had to say before. 

"I thought maybe we could....hang out? On our own, outside of all of this." Nayeon waved a hand at the Suburban, aware how her voice was growing higher and higher, and forced herself to calm down. "Since we're sticking around Wyoming an extra day, you know, I just figured..." Nayeon trailed off. It was taking every bit of her willpower not to back away or laugh it off. 

Mina considered her for so long that Nayeon was about to take it back. Evidently, Mina found whatever she was searching for in Nayeon's eyes, and she nodded. "Okay."

Nayeon stared at her. "Okay?" she repeated. 

"Yeah. Sure. Unless you didn't actually mean it?" 

Nayeon blushed at the amusement glowing in Mina's eyes. "Um. Right. Okay, so-"

"You pick a place. Text me about it tomorrow, and I'll be there. Sound good?" Mina asked. Putting all the responsibility on Nayeon to make sure she wasn't fucking around. Nayeon admittedly would do the same thing in her position. 

"Right. I will." 

Mina smiled, straightening up. "I see Sana and Dahyun coming back. Wanna get back on the road?" 

Nayeon had a hangout with Myoui Mina to plan. And it kind of killed Nayeon how much she was looking forward to it. 

"Yup, right behind you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consent is sexy, people! Good on you for asking first, Sana 
> 
> Next stop is....still Wyoming. Nayeon and Mina have their first shot at hanging out together, and Dahyun and Sana finally figure something out with proper communication? About time. But there'll be some fluff in there too


	7. Cause You Make It Better

**_Staybridge Suites_ **

**_Cheyenne, Wyoming_ **

**_11:30 AM MST_ **

Nayeon fidgeted with her phone unconsciously as she came to a stop in front of Mina and Jihyo's room. Today was _the_ day: the hangout that she'd been both looking forward to, and become so anxious over that she couldn't sleep the night before. After doing some hurried local research, she'd decided on going to Frontier Mall. People still liked going to the mall, right? At the very least, there were a ton of different stores, so if Nayeon bored Mina too much, she could always try another. 

_Since when do I care so much about impressing her?_ Nayeon wondered, as she texted Mina to let her know she was here. This trip was becoming a hell of a lot more confusing and frightening than Nayeon was comfortable with, and only part of it had to do with the supernatural. 

The door swung open, and Mina stepped out towards her, wearing a simple red shirt and denim shorts, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail. 

_Wow, I don't think I've ever seen her with her hair back before....it really suits her..._

Nayeon sighed internally. They hadn't even left yet, and already she was becoming a mess. This wouldn't do for the whole day. She would master this feeling. _Just be casual._

"Took you long enough." Nayeon greeted, and then wanted to slap herself as Mina raised an eyebrow. 

"Charming as ever, I see. Why am I going with you again?" 

"Um, because I'm a better driver than Jeongyeon, and I imagine you'd like a break from all of this, and I can be pretty fun." Nayeon tried for her best winning smile, the one that made Sana squeal and Jeongyeon remark that she looked like a five year old. Mina seemed to lean more in Sana's direction, because she only glanced at Nayeon for a moment before turning, flushed, to shout back in the room. 

"Jihyo-ah! I'm leaving! See you in a while!" 

Jihyo's voice came from around the corner. "Hang on Mina, you forgot your-" She appeared in the door frame, holding a phone charger. Jihyo stopped in her tracks at the sight of Nayeon. 

"Uh. This is who you're hanging out with?" 

"Yes. Is that a problem?" Mina asked tersely, taking the charger. Jihyo held her hands up in surrender, but Nayeon could see her eyes flashing between them, with a knowing look, and wanted to take about fifty steps back. 

"Nope. I just didn't know you two....got along enough to hang out on your own." Jihyo said simply. Mina turned away to slip the charger in her purse, and Jihyo raised her eyebrows at Nayeon, a smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth. 

"Well, _that_ remains to be seen. Are you ready?" Mina directed at Nayeon, and Nayeon snapped out of her mental battle with Jihyo. _Stupid Jihyo, always thinking she knows everything. This isn't a....what is this, exactly? What do you even want it to be?_

"Yup, let's go."

...

"I can't do this."

"Yes, you can, Dahyun-ah." 

"I can't! What were you and Tzuyu thinking, giving me false confidence that I'm a stud or something?" 

Dahyun had been pacing the floor of their hotel room for the last fifteen minutes. Chaeyoung was sitting on her bed, cross legged and, to her credit, listening patiently to every panic stricken rant Dahyun went on. She'd been in such a daze after Sana kissed her that she hadn't spoken to _anybody_ on the entire car ride back to Cheyenne. Dahyun hadn't been able to process anything, except the feel of the wintry mist on her back in such stark contrast to the warmth of Sana's lips on hers. Sana had looked concerned when they'd returned, but Dahyun waved it off, promising Sana she would absolutely talk to her later. 

_Now_ was later. And all of Dahyun's confidence was long gone, abandoned by those trees and the riverside, next to the death ship. 

"Dahyun-ah..." Chaeyoung began, for what must've been the tenth time that morning. "I don't know what you're so worried about. She all but spelled it out for you. All you have to do is ask." 

"I can't." Dahyun whispered. 

"You what?"

"I _can't._ I'm so awkward and she's so-"

"All right, _enough."_ Chaeyoung sprang off the bed and grabbed Dahyun by the shoulders, forcing her to look her in the eyes. Chaeyoung's grip was shockingly strong, effective at getting Dahyun's attention. Chaeyoung could be intimidating as hell if she wanted to be. 

"We're not doing this 'Dahyun panics and builds 300 walls between her and Sana' thing anymore. You are going to grow a pair of balls, march down that hall, and ask her to be your girlfriend today. Now." Chaeyoung ordered. 

Dahyun stared at her. "Now? But-"

"Dahyun, look at the facts! She's gorgeous, and she's attentive, and she _kissed you._ And you're head over heels for her. Being around you both has been, quite frankly, painful for weeks. So this is as much a favor to me as it is for her. _Please_ ask Sana out already." Chaeyoung said firmly. 

Dahyun looked down at her feet. "I-" 

"I don't wanna hear it. No more 'Why would she wanna be with me?' You're funny, you're sweet, you're crazy smart, and patient, and Sana would be so lucky to have you. She knows it too. You deserve each other, trust me." Chaeyoung told her, making Dahyun look her in the eyes again. The absolute sincerity there made Dahyun soften. Chaeyoung never said anything she didn't truly mean. And she knew Chaeyoung had been rooting for Dahyun and Sana since the beginning, maybe even more than Dahyun. 

"Okay." said Dahyun softly. She couldn't believe she was saying it, much less going to do it, but that was the power Chaeyoung had. 

Chaeyoung's eyes lit up, and she let go of Dahyun's shoulders. 

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." 

Chaeyoung squealed delightedly and grabbed Dahyun's wrist, tugging her towards the door. 

"Wait, what are you-" 

"No time for this! You might lose your nerve!" Chaeyoung called back as she sprinted down the hall to Sana and Tzuyu's room, Dahyun right behind her. Before Dahyun could protest, Chaeyoung was knocking obnoxiously loud on their door. 

"Tzuyu-ah!" she shouted. Dahyun shot her an incredulous look. 

"Couldn't you just text her?" she hissed. 

Chaeyoung shrugged. "I could." 

A few moments passed, and then Tzuyu opened the door. At first she looked irritated, but when she caught the expressions on Chaeyoung and Dahyun's faces, her eyes brightened. "Is it time finally?" she asked eagerly. 

"It _is."_ Chaeyoung announced. Dahyun seemed to have lost her voice. 

"Who is it, Tzuyu?" Dahyun's heart picked up pace as Sana appeared behind Tzuyu, in casual pajamas and a high ponytail. 

"Oh, hi, Chaeyoung-ah. And Dahyunnie?" 

"Listen, Dahyun needs to talk to you about something. But we don't want to intrude, so we'll just leave you to it." Chaeyoung said cheerfully, as Tzuyu joined her in the hall. Sana looked curiously at Dahyun, with a gleam of hope in her expression. 

"Really?" 

"Um....yeah." Dahyun said lamely. _You can do this,_ she reminded herself sternly. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu both gave her encouraging glances, before turning and heading down the hall. Dahyun took a deep breath before facing Sana. 

"Yes, I do. Can I come in?" 

**_Frontier Mall_ **

**_Cheyenne, Wyoming_ **

**_12:30 PM MST_ **

Stupid Sana and her reasonable sounding ideas. 

They'd been here for just under an hour, and Nayeon had never wanted to run away, screaming in frustration, more. Mina had been mostly quiet the entire car ride, and when they'd arrived, merely shrugging every time Nayeon asked her if she wanted to stop in a store. Nayeon looked down at the coffee she'd bought, swirling the ice around restlessly as she tried not to stare at Mina from across the table. They were seated next to the coffee shop Nayeon decided to stop at, but Mina hadn't gotten anything. And now, she was just sitting there, people watching, looking cold and attractive and untouchable. Like some sort of ice queen. Nayeon didn't come out here for this shit. 

"What's your favorite color?" Nayeon blurted out. Mina finally looked at her, expression twisted with confusion. But she was actually paying attention to Nayeon, for one of the first times since they'd left the hotel. 

"Why?" 

Nayeon shrugged. "Because, I don't really know anything about you. I know you're rich, and I know you like scary stuff, and I know you're friends with some of my friends. And you have _okay_ taste in music. But I don't know anything interesting, and I'd like to. So...what's your favorite color?" she asked. 

Mina was looking at her in that way that made Nayeon feel like either she was being judged insanely hard, or she was genuinely considering what Nayeon had to say. She hoped it was the latter. 

"Purple." Mina answered. Nayeon tilted her head. 

"Purple, huh? Like royal purple? That's fitting for you, prince- Mina." she finished, semi awkwardly. Antagonizing Mina wasn't the goal for today, even if she missed that cute little pout of annoyance she would get. Mina almost smiled, her eyes lighting up with intrigue. 

"What's yours?" 

"I like red. It's a powerful color. When I wear it, I feel like I can get shit done." Nayeon said, taking a sip of coffee. "Blech. Why did I spend money on this?" 

Mina considered her for a while, and Nayeon started to feel like she was under a magnifying glass, pinned under Mina's searching gaze. But, she didn't entirely mind it. 

"Well, let's go find you something better to eat." Mina replied, and pushed away from the table. "And then you can tell me what your favorite animal is." 

Nayeon tossed the cup in the trash, and jumped up. And as they began to wander the floors, looking for something suitable to satisfy Nayeon's tastes, Nayeon enjoyed the layers she began to peel away from Mina. Underneath that smug demeanor she always put up, Mina was just a regular girl who was fond of penguins, sour candy, and preferred action and drama movies to horror. 

"I'll really watch anything, though." Mina said as they browsed the Nintendo section of GameStop. There was a small sparkle in Mina's eyes that Nayeon had never seen before, and it certainly did wonders for her. 

_She should always look this happy._

_Because it looks better than her glaring, of course._

"Will you?" Nayeon replied absently, whacking a plush Yoshi doll against her leg that she'd picked up from a display. Mina glanced at her oddly and took the doll out of her grip, her fingers brushing Nayeon's, just for a second. 

"I find movies so interesting. My parents think I'm wasting away in my room when I'm home, but I'm really analyzing all these things I'm watching. I wonder about why they directed it this way, or why they shot these aesthetics in that way..." Mina paused at the mention of her parents, a tiny frown playing around her lips. 

Wanting to take her mind off of that topic, Nayeon pointed at the Yoshi doll. "You like that?" 

Mina glanced down at the doll she was inattentively squeezing, as if she hadn't realized she was still holding it. "It's squishy." she replied quietly. 

_Cute._ Nayeon took it from her. "I'll get it for you."

"You don't need to do that-" 

"I'll get it for you." Nayeon cut across her. "If you tell me whether you like waffles or pancakes more." 

Mina laughed. It was an authentic, sincere laugh, not mocking Nayeon for once. "The correct answer is French toast sticks." 

Nayeon slowly lowered the doll, stunned. 

"What?" Mina questioned. 

"Um...no one's ever said that before. That's what I think too." Nayeon muttered, Jihyo's face filling her mind. _You two are honestly just like each other._

Mina shrugged, smiling in that way that scrunched her eyes. "Great minds think alike, hmm? I'll wait outside for my prize." She bopped the Yoshi doll on the nose and ambled away. Nayeon shook her head and went to pay, trying not to think about how much she really liked making Mina smile. Happiness suited her so much better than annoyance. 

Mina was waiting for her just outside the store, arms crossed over her chest and looking lost in thought. Nayeon cleared her throat as she approached, holding Yoshi out. 

"Your winnings, princess." _Oops._

Mina didn't seem as affected by this as before, merely taking the Yoshi plush and giving it a gentle squeeze before looking up at Nayeon.

"Listen, Wyoming is known for its national parks and nature scenery. I think it'd be a shame to spend the day cooped up in here, instead of enjoying it, don't you?" Mina prompted. 

Maybe the fresh air and sunshine would stop Nayeon's head from swimming every time Mina made eye contact with her now. 

"You have a spot in mind?" she asked, as they began to walk towards the exit. Mina waved her phone at Nayeon excitedly. 

"I certainly do. You up for a little drive?" 

How could Nayeon say no to that face? 

**_Staybridge Suites_ **

For some reason, being inside Sana's room instead of just running into each other in the hall, or being on ghost duty together, was a lot more daunting than Dahyun would've imagined. She couldn't stop noticing small details, like the amount of pillows piled on Sana's bed, or the half used bottle of lotion on the dresser, or how her clothes were strewn out of her suitcase in comparison to Tzuyu's. 

Sana sat in the middle of her bed, legs crossed W style. "So, what's on your mind, Dahyunnie?" she asked. Dahyun's veins were humming, singing with adrenaline and not helping her focus. _Why_ did this have to be so hard? 

"Dahyunnie?" Sana asked again when Dahyun didn't respond, looking mildly concerned. Dahyun went over the whole speech she'd prepared in her mind last night, and that morning with Chaeyoung, and double checked by Tzuyu, taking a deep breath. _This is the moment._

Sana, growing seriously concerned that Dahyun wasn't responding whatsoever, rose from the bed and placed a hand on Dahyun's shoulder. "Hey, Dahyun? Hello? Are you-" 

Dahyun met her eyes, relieved that she could finally explain why she'd been acting so weird for weeks, and tell Sana how much she really liked her, and hoped that she felt the same, and how pretty and wonderful she thought Sana was- 

"Will you go out with me?" 

Dahyun's eyes widened with horror as Sana looked surprised. Where had the speech gone? Why couldn't Dahyun seem to open her mouth again? Seriously, _will you go out with me?_ Was she twelve? 

Sana dropped her hand. "Like, on a photography lesson, or..."

"No." said Dahyun firmly. "Like....dating. Us. Um, will you date me? Like, as my girlfriend?" Dahyun cringed back, as she couldn't seem to shut up. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu would be laughing at her right now. 

But Sana didn't laugh. Instead, her expression had lit up with such pleasure that Dahyun's heart warmed. 

"Is that a yes?" Dahyun asked eagerly, forgetting herself. 

"Hmm. I'm not sure. Ask me again?" Sana said, a teasing glow in her eyes that Dahyun would've complained about if it wasn't so adorable. She grabbed Sana's hands and laced their fingers. 

"Minatozaki Sana, will you be my girlfriend?" 

Sana let go of Dahyun's hands, and for a moment, fear flashed through Dahyun's body. What would she tell Chaeyoung? 

But Sana didn't step away, instead wrapping a hand around the back of Dahyun's neck and leaning forward to kiss Dahyun softly. 

"Yes, Dahyunnie, I will be your girlfriend." Sana whispered against her lips.

Pure, elated delight pulsed in Dahyun's heart, and she couldn't help leaning in to capture Sana's lips again, who giggled quietly. 

"That's my new favorite thing to do." Dahyun declared. 

"Hmm." Sana said, taking Dahyun's hand to link their fingers together again. "Guess we'll have to do a lot of it then, to make up for you missing out on so much by being stubborn and avoiding me." 

Dahyun flushed in embarrassment, and she looked down as Sana laughed again. 

"I'm sorry. I'm just...I had no clue what I was doing, and I thought there was no way you liked me as much as I like you..." Dahyun mumbled. Sana lifted her chin with a finger, expression serious now. 

"It's okay. Really. I've been nervous too. The important thing is that we finally got together, babe." 

Babe. _Babe._ Dahyun's stomach squirmed pleasantly at the word, even though it was just one little term. But it was important because it came from Sana, and Sana was hers. The thought made her smile. 

"Let's go tell Chaeyoung and Tzuyu. I think they were hoping for us even more than we were." Dahyun said eagerly. 

"Sounds good." Sana agreed, and leaned forward again. Dahyun closed her eyes, anticipation buzzing- 

Sana merely kissed her cheek and stepped back. 

"Hey!" 

"Think of that as payback for making me wait so long." Sana said sweetly, and laughed at the pout on Dahyun's face. 

"Don't worry, we'll be making up for it later." 

_**Curt Goudy State Park** _

_**Cheyenne, Wyoming** _

_**1:15 PM MST** _

"Okay, I'll admit it. You were right."

Mina turned to face Nayeon as they hiked up the trail, looking way too pleased. 

"I usually am, but what about this time?" she replied. 

Nayeon bunched the hem of her shirt up to wipe at her forehead. "This is definitely better than the mall." she admitted grudgingly. 

The view out here was beautiful. Mina had found a trail leading to a secluded lake, encircled by rocks near the edge, and trees surrounding the outer perimeter. There were a few picnic tables scattered around, which Nayeon was grateful for, as they'd been walking a while and she'd forgotten to bring a water bottle. 

"I know." said Mina simply. "Want to sit?" she asked, pointing at one of the tables a little ways from the water. Nayeon nodded, and they made their way over to the benches. 

The whole car ride here, they'd gone back and forth with their questions, discussing favorite breakfasts, dreams they'd had as a kid, TV shows, all the mundane little things Nayeon never thought she'd care about. And yet, she found herself generally intrigued every time Mina took a moment to think of the answer. She liked hearing about how Mina was a dog person, or that she was good at math. It felt like peeling back another layer, revealing more of the Mina that Sana and Jihyo kept telling her to give a chance. 

(And Mina had held onto that plush Yoshi the entire time. Nayeon wasn't especially pleased by this or anything. It was just an observation). 

"Are you done with the questions?" Mina inquired, breaking through Nayeon's reverie. Nayeon blinked, getting a little too absorbed in watching Mina take a sip from her own water bottle. 

"Uh..."

"What? You need a drink?" Mina held out the bottle, a faint smirk playing across her face. Nayeon snatched it, taking a gulp so she could steady her thoughts. 

"Well, we got most of the surface level stuff down." Nayeon said, handing the bottle back. 

"True. I had no idea you were so passionate about hot pizza versus cold pizza." Mina replied, amused. Nayeon huffed. 

"Look, cold pizza the next day is infinitely amazing. Reheated pizza tastes like rubber. But forget about that." 

Mina looked back at the gently rippling lake, a small smile erupting, and Nayeon spoke without really thinking. 

"How's everything with your parents?" 

Mina's head snapped back around, and for a moment, Nayeon regretted the question. Not just because she knew Mina's parents were a touchy subject, but because she didn't really want to ruin this moment with that kind of talk. They were supposed to be _enjoying_ themselves. Mina wasn't glaring at her, so Nayeon took that as encouragement. 

"Hey, you don't need to talk about it if you don't want to. I was just wondering." Nayeon said quietly. Mina focused her gaze on the table. 

"No....it's not....you're fine. It's probably better to talk about it than keep it all inside. Jihyo keeps getting on me about that." Mina murmured after a moment. "I talked to them again, but they seemed to put everything they'd said aside. I told them we're making progress, and they tried to act like they were proud, but I could tell. They expect more." 

Mina sighed, looking so dejected that Nayeon automatically reached out, trying to think of how to comfort her. 

"If they were out here with us, they wouldn't be saying that. You work harder than any of us to keep us going, to keep us on schedule, knowing all these different legends and everything. They'll just have to see it for themselves when we get back and Momo's done with her documentary. But trust me, I've been editing the other footage, and you shine in it." Nayeon told her. 

_Well, that was rather corny._ Nayeon scratched the back of her head self consciously, suddenly very aware she was rambling. Somehow, Mina got her to do it and she wasn't even aware of it. But the soft look on Mina's face when she met her eyes again made it seem worthwhile.

"I appreciate that." said Mina quietly, reaching over and patting Nayeon's arm. A swooping feeling soared through Nayeon's stomach, but before she could really be affected by it, Mina stood up. 

"Come on, I don't want to be sad. We're out here to have fun, yeah?" 

Nayeon followed her willingly, all thoughts of despairing things vanishing under the bright sunlight as they continued through the park. Mina actually laughed at a few of Nayeon's stupid jokes, and flashed a few more of those wonderful smiles. 

_Is this what it's like for Sana and Dahyun?_ Nayeon wondered, as her skin flared up from Mina brushing past her to examine a frog hopping towards them. She was nervous, yes, but she also just felt....good. Nice. Nayeon liked spending time around this Mina. 

"Nayeon, your phone's ringing." Mina called from where she was kneeling. 

_Huh? So it is._

Nayeon dug the buzzing device out of her pocket and answered. 

"Hello?"

"Where are you guys?" Jihyo asked. 

"Um, at a state park. Why?" 

Jihyo was quiet for a second. "I thought you were going to the mall?" 

"Well, we were there, but Mina got bored and suggested we come out here instead. And it really is gorgeous, Jihyo-ah, you should see it!" 

"Uh, right. Well, I was just wondering when you're coming back. I wanted to have dinner with all of us tonight, but if you're too busy..." Jihyo let the end of the sentence hang delicately. Nayeon frowned. 

" _Dinner?_ What time is -" She pulled the phone away from her ear. 5 PM? Where the fuck had the time gone? 

"Wow, sorry about that. Yeah, we can come back." 

"No, no, if you're enjoying yourself, by all means stay with Mina." Jihyo replied, an edge of amusement that was way too smug for Nayeon's liking in her voice. 

"I'll see you _soon,_ Jihyo." Nayeon snapped, and hung up with her ears burning. Jihyo always thought she knew everything. 

"Uh, do you mind if we head back? I didn't realize what time it was, but Jihyo wants to have dinner..." Nayeon asked, a little awkwardly. She didn't really want to disturb Mina, since she looked so peaceful. Free from all the stress she'd been going through. Nayeon felt bad about taking her away from that. 

Mina didn't seem to mind, straightening up with a soft hum. "Sure, let's go back. Not that I'm not having fun out here with you." She flicked Nayeon in the arm. "But food does sound good." 

She was having fun with Nayeon. Enough to spend the whole day with her. For some reason, that made Nayeon smile so hard her cheeks hurt. 

**_Staybridge Suites_ **

**_8:30 PM MST_ **

"You going to bed, Nayeon-ah?" Sana asked, as Nayeon got up from the table and stretched appreciatively. Her arm was around Dahyun, their hands laced together (finally), as Dahyun talked animatedly to Momo and Jeongyeon, both of whom were finishing off dessert. 

"Yeah, I had a pretty long day. But I'll be up bright and early for Colorado, don't worry." Nayeon assured her. She looked at the others, who were in various states of relaxation after the meal they'd had. "Good night, everyone." 

"Night, Nayeon!" said Jihyo cheerily, not looking up from where she was attempting to stack salt shakers. Mina, who was sitting next to Chaeyoung and Tzuyu, gave her a little wave. Nayeon couldn't help feeling disappointed as she headed for the elevator to take up to her room. 

_Oh well. You did what you set out to do: hung out with Mina. And it went well. You learned about her, and she seems to like you now. Well, not_ like, _but-_

Her phone buzzed as she got out of the elevator, and Nayeon glanced down to see a text from Mina. When she opened it, there was a picture attached of Yoshi nestled in Mina's lap under the table, secure against her arm. 

**Mina:** _I had fun today. And thank you for this one :)_

Nayeon smiled to herself as she texted back, hardly paying attention to where she was walking.

 **Nayeon:** _I did too. Thanks for getting us out of that super dead mall._

There was no immediate response, and Nayeon sighed as she let herself into her room, slipping off her shoes and perching on the edge of the bed to grab her pajamas. 

_Ding_

**Mina:** _Lol you're welcome_

_Ding_

**Mina:** _Maybe we can do it again sometime? I'm sure there's other places to hang out in Colorado_

Nayeon paused, heart pounding a little too fiercely for how she was just sitting in bed. 

**Nayeon:** _Sure. With the others next time?_

_Ding_

**Mina:** _No. Just us_

 **Mina:** _I like it better that way_

"Holy shit." Nayeon whispered. 

Okay, she _did_ have a crush on Mina. The infuriating, soft-spoken, dog-loving rich girl. 

And maybe, just maybe, Mina was starting to like her too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Better has taken the honor of being my favorite Twice song. It's certainly inspiring to listen to as I work 
> 
> Sorry about the lack of spookiness in this chapter, but I enjoyed writing fluff for both pairings here. 
> 
> Next stop is Colorado, and we'll be back on track with the spookiness. Plus, Dahyun and Sana will be going on their first date (aka the first date where Dahyun is also aware that it's a date)


	8. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

_**Four Seasons Hotel** _

_**Denver, Colorado** _

_**9:15 AM MST** _

_Ding_

Jihyo ducked out of the bathroom to grab her phone, trying to button up her shirt with the other hand. 

**Jeongyeon** : _Aren't_ _you_ _ready_ _yet_? 

**Jihyo** : _Almost_ , _sorry_

**Jeongyeon** : _You're_ _responsible_ _for_ _dealing_ _with_ _Momo's_ _grumpiness_ _the_ _rest_ _of_ _the_ _day_ if _we're_ _any_ _later_

**Jihyo** : _Come_ _by_ _in_ _five_ _minutes_

She threw her phone onto the mattress and started looking for her shoes. Breakfast with Jeongyeon and Momo outside of the hotel sounded great last night, and she hadn't _meant_ to be late. It was just that she'd gotten caught up in editing last night and forgotten to go to bed at a reasonable time. Jihyo appreciated Nayeon and Dahyun for showing her how, but at the same time, she was becoming entirely too consumed with these legends, and was having dreams about ghost ships and phantom hitchhikers. 

Jihyo paused as she looked over at Mina, who was still asleep and curled up tightly in bed. God, she looked so exhausted even in rest. Jihyo frowned, rising and going over to Mina's side. She didn't deserve to be so tense. This was as much her vacation as anyone else's. Her parents must really be wearing on her...

Nayeon seemed to be helping, bizarre as that sounded. Whatever had happened at the state park had done away with that animosity between them, or at least most of it. Mina was enthusiastic again, and on the car ride to Denver, she and Nayeon had actually chosen to sit next to each other. Jihyo didn't _mind_ it....she was just confused. She wondered for a moment if she should wake Mina up and ask her if Jihyo should bring her something back. 

_Nah, let her sleep._

Jihyo leaned over and kissed Mina's forehead, brushing a thumb over her cheekbone. 

_Ding_

**Jeongyeon** : _We're_ _outside_

Jihyo grabbed her wallet and purse, hesitating to look back at Mina again for a second. There was a fierce knock on the door, and then Momo was shouting "I swear we'll leave you here, Jihyo-ah!" 

Jihyo rolled her eyes and went to let herself out. Jeongyeon and Momo were waiting in the hall, Momo bouncing on the balls of her feet and Jeongyeon leaning against the wall. 

"Ready?" Jihyo asked. Momo darted past them for the stairs, and Jihyo laughed as Jeongyeon shook her head. 

"You look kind of distracted. Everything good?" Jeongyeon questioned as they followed Momo. 

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking about the trip later today." 

Jihyo nodded and murmured as Jeongyeon started off on a tangent about the allegedly haunted road they were visiting later, but something else pricked at the back of her mind. 

_When did Mina start sleeping with a plush Yoshi?_

_..._

"Chaeyoung, get the door!" Dahyun shouted, burying her head further into her pillows. The knocker was probably Tzuyu wanting to borrow something, or Nayeon wanting to annoy them, but Dahyun would not be the first to deal with them today. Chaeyoung grumbled as she rolled out of her own bed and crossed the room.

"Who is- oh hey, Sana." 

Dahyun shot almost straight up, nearly scraping her neck on the headboard and flinging the pillow off the bed. Sana was indeed standing in the door frame, looking much too perky for the morning, but still fresh and cute and warm. 

"Good morning, Chaeng." Sana replied brightly. She peeked inside, and when she caught sight of Dahyun, a wide smile erupted across her face. "And good morning, Dahyunnie. Did I wake you up?" 

"Um...no, it's okay. You wanna come in?" Dahyun stammered, pushing the blankets away and patting down her tousled hair. Chaeyoung yawned, stepping back. 

"Well, I'm going to grab breakfast from downstairs, and leave you to....whatever this is." She waved a hand and shut the door as Sana came over to Dahyun's bed, sinking down on the mattress. 

"Hi." she said softly, looking at Dahyun with such tenderness that Dahyun forgot to be self conscious. 

"Hi..." Dahyun replied, taking one of Sana's hands and playing with her fingers. She could do things like this now, because they were dating. _Dating._ It had only been a few days, but Dahyun was never going to get over it. "Not that I'm not pleased to see you, but it must be pretty important for you to come here instead of just texting me. Especially so early."

"Well, first of all, it's 9:30. Not that early, babe." Sana said, smiling at the protest on Dahyun's face. "And second of all, there's something I want to ask you, and I think it _is_ important enough for me to do in person." 

Dahyun shifted so they were entirely facing each other. "All right. I'm listening." 

Sana looked down at their entwined hands, and took a tiny breath. "Okay, so I know they're going to a pretty haunted spot tonight, and that will be potentially super interesting. Footage wise, I mean. But I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date instead?" 

Dahyun blinked. "A date with you? Instead of ghost duty?"

Sana leaned away slightly, a flash of disappointment fleeting in her eyes. "I know it might be....not as fun." Sana mumbled, starting to pull her hand back. "But I just thought, you know, maybe-" 

Dahyun grabbed Sana's face and pulled her in for a kiss. Still her very favorite thing to do, next to holding Sana's hand and making her happy. She could feel Sana smile into the kiss, and regretted having to draw away. 

_"Yes,_ I want to go on a date with you. Ghost duty can wait. Where are we going?" Dahyun asked eagerly. Sana laughed, bopping Dahyun on the nose. 

"It's a surprise, Dahyunnie. I don't want to spoil it. They're gonna have the Suburban, so we're gonna have to take an Uber. I hope that's okay." Sana frowned. Dahyun kissed her again, partly to make that frown go away and partly just because she could. 

"It's okay, Sana. Really. Now, let me get dressed and halfway decent, okay?" 

She attempted to get up, but Sana held onto her waist, her lower lip sticking out in a pout that was completely rude. "But I wanna cuddle." Sana mumbled. Dahyun smoothed her hair back. 

"We can cuddle right after, I promise. Just give me ten minutes." 

Sana sighed exaggeratedly and let Dahyun go, flopping onto her back. " _Fine."_

Dahyun smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead before scampering off to find her clothes.

A date with Minatozaki Sana. It seemed so alien and yet so familiar at the same time. Dahyun splashed cold water onto her face as she examined her reflection. How long had they been traveling now? Almost a month? It felt like being drawn into a time warp, a zone where all the monsters were real and Sana was crazy about her. Did they have to go back? 

The front door clicked open and shut, and she heard Sana say, "Hey Chaeyoung-ah. Did they have anything good?" 

"Some pastries. Really good hot chocolate." Chaeyoung answered. 

"Ooh! That sounds great. I might need to grab some." 

A brief moment of silence passed, and then Chaeyoung spoke up again, sounding almost grave. 

"Can I tell you something?" 

"Uh, sure." said Sana blankly. Dahyun paused, unsure if she should interrupt. 

"Dahyun's my best friend." Chaeyoung said clearly. Dahyun could picture each of their expressions so well: Chaeyoung, with an earnest stare in those dark eyes. Sana, looking confused with her cheeks puffing out slightly. 

"Um, I know..."

"She never really said anything until this trip, but Tzuyu and I knew she's liked you for months. She was so nervous every time you said anything to her, or touched her at all, and I've never seen her glow the way she does now when she's with you." Chaeyoung continued. Sana was silent now, and Dahyun couldn't picture her face now. 

"Don't hurt her." said Chaeyoung quietly. "I like you, Sana. I think you're cool, and I know Tzuyu likes you too, even if she doesn't act like it. But Dahyun is very important to me, and the last thing she deserves is to have her heart broken." 

Dahyun swallowed, feeling a rush of affection for Chaeyoung and a prick of uncertainty at how Sana would react. There was a lengthy pause. 

"I can't know what will happen in the future." Sana finally replied. "But I do know that Dahyunnie is very important to me, as well. I would never hurt her intentionally. I promise you that. All I want is to see her happy." 

"Good. That's what I want too." said Chaeyoung, a hint of warmth in her tone. Then she sighed. "Dahyun-ah, stop hiding in the bathroom! You're not subtle!" 

Dahyun flushed, wiping at her face one last time and stepping out awkwardly. Chaeyoung stood at the end of her bed, arms crossed over her chest. Sana was sitting up now, looking slightly red. 

"Um..." said Dahyun. Chaeyoung rolled her eyes and walked away from Dahyun's bed towards her own, clapping Dahyun on the back. 

"I like Sana now, so just treat each other right, okay? Me and Tzuyu are going out to see a movie before ghost duty tonight. Have fun, you guys." Chaeyoung grabbed her wallet and waved in goodbye before leaving again. Dahyun looked at Sana, who smiled invitingly and held her arms wide open. Dahyun joined her on the bed, taking comfort in her warmth and scent. How did Sana always smell _so_ good? 

"Sorry if that made you uncomfortable." Dahyun said after a moment. "Chaeyoung's just....she's very protective." 

"I don't mind." Sana said, resting her chin on Dahyun's shoulder. "It's nice to know you have such good friends. Jeongyeon and Momo told me to warn you to expect the same thing." Dahyun groaned. 

"Jeongyeon can be scary." 

"So can Tzuyu, arguably."

"She's only like that if you irritate her, or she's bored. She's really just a teddy bear." Dahyun promised. 

Sana giggled quietly, placing a small kiss on Dahyun's ear, which instantly made her flush. "Well, so is Jeongyeon." 

"Why are we wasting time talking about them when we could be cuddling?" Dahyun complained. 

"You're right, you're right. Sorry, Dahyunnie." 

"You can make it up to me by not going anywhere for at least a couple hours." Dahyun mumbled, shifting so she could rest on Sana's chest, whose arms came up around her. 

"That can be arranged." 

**_Thornton, Colorado_ **

**_8 PM MST_ **

**_Riverdale Road_ **

"This certainly looks like the poster child for haunted roads." Jeongyeon observed as they turned onto the entrance for Riverdale Road. It was getting dark, the trees lining the left side of the road looming ominously. 

"Maybe we'll see something actually good then. I still don't believe Sana and Dahyun saw that ghost ship." Momo said beside her, pointing her camera carefully out the window at the blind corners. 

"Did everyone bring their voice recorders?" Mina asked. There was a general murmur of assent: this was the first time almost all of them were on ghost duty, and Nayeon was feeling a little apprehensive about being in a car with their resident skeptics and Mina. 

"Good. We'll be starting off in the car, but I'd like to get out on foot and examine some areas more thoroughly. It'll take less time if we split off in groups. Is that okay?" Mina went on. 

"For the record, this is exactly how people get killed in horror movies." Tzuyu said. 

After a small debate, it was decided that the groups would be: Jeongyeon, Tzuyu, and Momo, Jihyo and Chaeyoung, and Mina and Nayeon. Nayeon gave Mina a small smile from where she was seated next to her, and Mina returned the smile much more widely. Nayeon had to look away, busying herself with her camera as she tried not to seem like an idiot. 

Somehow, Mina had turned her into a mess more and more every time they were around each other now. It was fine when they'd been driving to Colorado, sharing music in the backseat with one pair of earbuds between them. Mina had even fallen asleep on Nayeon's shoulder, and Nayeon only mildly freaked out over it. It was fine when they texted throughout the day, and Mina sent her random pictures she thought Nayeon would like, and Nayeon sent her stupid ones in return. 

But now that her feelings were in the open, at least to herself, Nayeon felt so...small. One glance from Mina didn't make her want to roll her eyes anymore, but rather sped up her pulse. She wanted to hold her hand now, see if her skin was as soft as it looked. And did Mina think about her as much as Nayeon did? She wished she could ask Jihyo without sounding dumb- 

"Nayeon-ah!" She blinked hard, a wave of reality crashing over her, and Momo was turned around in the passenger seat, looking at her oddly. "Ready?" she prompted. 

Nayeon nodded firmly, purposely not looking at Mina. "I'm set." 

"Me too." Chaeyoung chimed in. 

"Okay then. We're rolling in 3...2...1..."

"At first mention, Colorado might not seem like the obvious choice for haunted events. But in the city of Thornton, there lies an 11 mile stretch of pavement known as Riverdale Road that is chock full of terrifying legends. From demons to ghostly bodies swinging from the trees to a phantom car-"

"A what?" Tzuyu and Jeongyeon said together. Mina only sighed slightly.

"Momo, edit that out, please."

"Sure."

Mina continued as they drove slowly along the winding dark turns. "The pinnacle of Riverdale Road's horror may be their own version of Hell's Gates. Perhaps it sounds like just another tired old scam, but the history behind it is disturbing as it is devastating. The gates themselves are no more, but they left behind partial ruins of a mansion- set on fire by the owner, who went insane and killed his sleeping family inside. Only the barren land remains....and possibly the tortured souls he trapped there." 

Nayeon swallowed uncomfortably as Mina spoke. It was eerie how easily she slipped into this haunting narrator role, even with no less than 3 cameras pointed at her, and Momo's occasional panning away to film someone else's reaction or the menacing emptiness outside. _She's a good speaker._

"Terrible events have been stacking up here since the early 1850s, and that much negative energy can only attract restless spirits. Do they still linger around here? Or maybe something else? Well..."

Uh-oh. Nayeon knew that tone. 

"Jeongyeon, pull over here." Mina ordered. Jeongyeon glanced in the rearview mirror. 

"There's nothing here. Just fields and trees..."

"Pull over." Mina repeated. Jeongyeon shrugged, coming to a stop at the edge of the road. It wasn't as obscure as some of the other places they'd visited, but Nayeon still didn't want to fuck with any vengeful spirits. 

'We'll do a little exploration here. Get your headlamps or flashlights out, and if you do come across anything suspicious, make sure you have the voice recorder on." Mina said, holding up the small grey device. "Everyone clear?" 

There was a various smattering of a mumbled agreement, and the crew began to climb out of the Suburban. 

"So, phantom car, huh?" Nayeon asked Mina as they stepped out on the road, trying to laugh her nervousness away. Mina nodded, slipping her flashlight out. 

"Don't worry, Nayeon, I'll protect you." 

It was remarkable how, even out here in this creepy ass environment and surrounded by possible ghosts, that one small declaration made Nayeon's body light up. 

**_Dave and Buster's_ **

**_5 PM MST_ **

**_Denver, Colorado_ **

"It's so _chaotic_ in here." Dahyun laughed, looking around the lobby from their table near the sports bar. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been to anything like an arcade, and although surprised when the Uber had pulled up here, she wasn't against it. 

"Cause of all the people?" Sana asked, thanking a waiter who brought them their waters and menus. 

"Well, yes, but also all the colorful lights, and the TVs at the bar playing 30 different games, and the arcade itself..." Dahyun trailed off as she became lost in it all. 

"I hope that's not a bad thing." said Sana quietly. Dahyun glanced up to see her looking almost subdued. "I tried to think of something fun for us to do, and I thought this would be cool." 

Dahyun reached over to place her hand on Sana's, rubbing her thumb reassuringly across her skin and feeling a tingle from the point of contact. "This is great. I really would've been okay with whatever we did, because I'm with you." _That was kind of cheesy, Dahyun._

Sana didn't seem to mind, squeezing Dahyun's hand before running her finger down the menu. "What are you in the mood for? Get whatever you like." 

"Sana, some of this is pretty expensive..." Dahyun protested. 

"It doesn't matter. I'm treating you, okay? Whatever you want." 

Dahyun hesitated. "How about we share something?" she suggested. "These Cantina nachos look good. Plenty for both of us." 

Sana grinned and shook her head. "You're so determined not to let me spoil you. Fine, if that's what you want."

The waiter returned, and after Sana placed their order, she pulled her chair around to be beside Dahyun. 

"Are you even allowed to do that?" Dahyun asked, although she wasn't complaining. Sana rolled her eyes and grabbed Dahyun's hand. 

"Dahyunnie, you worry too much. You're going to go grey before thirty."

"Grey, hmm? Grey might look good on me." Dahyun considered. Sana placed a chaste kiss on her cheek, laughing softly when the blood instantly rushed up to color her skin. 

"I agree." 

Dahyun would like to say she thought of her friends on ghost duty and hoped they weren't having too much trouble, but truthfully, they didn't cross her mind once. Not when the nachos arrived and Sana kept pouting to get Dahyun to feed her, not when two guys walking by checked Sana out appreciatively and she kissed Dahyun in response, and not any of the times Sana would touch her. It was like she couldn't get enough of her- something that made Dahyun a little too pleased. 

"Okay, what are we having for dessert?" Dahyun asked. "Churros? I can pay this time." Sana lowered her glass of water and slapped the menu down. 

"Nope, sorry. We aren't having dessert here. I'm taking you somewhere special for that."

Dahyun arched an eyebrow. "We're going all the way to another place just to have dessert? But they have it right here."

"Trust me, Dahyun-ah. It's going to be worth it. But first, game time!" Sana leapt up and offered her hand to Dahyun, who took it, weaving their fingers together. 

"Okay, okay, fine. What do you wanna do first?" They wandered the various arcade games for a while. 

"Ooh, what about that one?" 

"Dark Escape 4D?" Dahyun asked, rolling her eyes. "That's exactly what everyone else is doing right now. I don't need another monster encounter right now, thank you."

"Okay, how about a classic? Skee ball?" Sana suggested, pointing at the invitingly lit up display screen of the skee ball machine. It was unoccupied, so much the better for them. 

"Are we competing?" Dahyun wondered, walking over and swiping her player card. Sana hummed thoughtfully as the balls rolled down towards them, knocking together at the bottom of the container. 

"Sure, let's make a bet."

Dahyun grabbed her first ball. "What are we betting?"

"Well, if you win, I'll let you decide what we do the rest of the night. You can pay for everything, and we can even go straight back to the hotel and just cuddle like you wanted." Sana replied. 

"And if you win?" 

"You're gonna let me spoil you, no more complaints. And....I get a kiss. Right here, in front of everybody." Sana declared. Dahyun's eyes narrowed. It wasn't like she didn't enjoy kissing Sana, but it was pretty clear who between them was more comfortable in public. So far. But regardless...she didn't back down from challenges. 

Instead of responding, Dahyun rolled her ball up the alley. It clattered off the top and landed in the 30 pocket. 

"Oh, you're determined." Sana chuckled. Dahyun paid her no mind, already tossing her next ball. It bounced off the edge and rolled into the 10 hole. _Damn._

"Gotta be faster than that, Dahyunnie!" Sana called. Dahyun glanced over, and she was already 50 points up. Dahyun snatched at the next ball and launched it. 

WHAM. Right in the 20 pocket. 

Dahyun's concentration narrowed down to just the balls and the pockets. 

WHAM. 20 

WHAM. 10 

WHAM. 30 

WHAM. 40 

_I might win,_ Dahyun thought giddily. She palmed the last ball, deliberately not looking at Sana, and aimed for the 50 pocket. The ball snapped forward, teetered on the edge between 50 and 40...and fell back into the ring at the bottom. 

"Aw, nice try, Dahyunnie." 

Dahyun sighed as she looked over at Sana's bright expression. "I still got 150. A healthy, respectable score." 

"Yes, you did. Very respectable." Sana agreed. 

"And you?" 

Sana pointed at the display screen. 

" _450?"_ Dahyun choked. "How did you-" 

"Talented in more ways than one." Sana winked at her. "Now, I believe I am owed something?" 

Dahyun sighed again. "Yes, you can spoil me, Sana." 

"Oh, I know. I was going to anyway. But..." She tapped her bottom lip, expression anticipatory. 

Dahyun swallowed, taking in the families around them, the leering men, the bartenders. She just didn't know if she was ready to be so public about this, with something that felt so precious and personal to her. But when she glanced back at Sana, the gentle and reassuring look in her eyes drove all of that out of Dahyun's mind. 

She pushed up on her tip toes and pressed her lips to Sana's. At first, she intended it to be a quick peck, but Dahyun found that she didn't want to pull away. She liked being this close with her. And Sana was a very, very good kisser. 

When they finally separated, it was Sana's cheeks that were red for once. "If that's how you're going to reward me every time I win something, we should be having daily bets." said Sana, a little breathlessly. 

Dahyun shrugged, unable to keep from smiling. "I'll reward you any time you want, babe." 

Sana beamed and grabbed her hand again. "I'll keep that in mind. But we need to go explore the other games. That one's called Time Crisis!" 

Far be it from Dahyun to stand between Sana and Time Crisis. 

**_Riverdale Road_ **

**_8:15 PM MST_ **

**_Thornton, Colorado_ **

"I feel like there's a super high chance of us getting murdered out here." 

"That's why I like being around you so much, Nayeon. You always know how to look on the bright side." Mina said, raising her flashlight. 

"Yeah, yeah. We're near a road full of angry ghosts and close to a fucked up arsonist's home, and I should think positive." Nayeon muttered. Usually, she would stay quiet and let Mina do her thing. In fact, she _never_ became unprofessional during filming, but it was due to a terrible combination of these creepy ass trees they were combing through and how her body was humming every time Mina got near. 

"What are you looking for, exactly?" Nayeon asked after a moment, watching as Mina peered through the leaves, the light from her flashlight bobbing up and down. 

"Not really looking, more trying to sense. I usually feel some sort of....offness. A sense of something not belonging, or just being wrong." Mina answered. Nayeon lifted the camcorder away from a branch jutting out towards them. 

"Is that why you got into researching the supernatural?"

Mina was quiet for a minute. All Nayeon could pick up was the crunch of ground under their shoes. "I just find something so interesting about these kinds of situations. Things that should not be, events that have no _logical_ explanation, but still happen whether we understand them or not." she replied quietly. 

_Well, that's an accurate summary of how I feel about you,_ Nayeon thought. _Absolutely no control over it, I don't understand it 90% of the time, but my feelings just keep growing and growing._

"What do you think of all this?" Mina asked. Nayeon glanced at her through the screen, focusing on her, and how her expression was tentative, as if she really wanted to hear the answer, but was afraid of what Nayeon might say.

"I....I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when we started." Nayeon admitted. "I really just wanted an opportunity to work on something major. I don't get many chances back home. But as we've kept going, I've heard stuff, seen things that have me questioning. I'm no hardcore skeptic like Jeongyeon or Tzuyu, but I think I'm a little more practical than most. But, not everything in life is practical. Sometimes things happen that don't make sense, but they aren't entirely bad." 

Mina had stopped walking, and the look on her face made Nayeon want to shut her camera off, be here with her in this moment, surrounded by ghostly energy and phantom hitchhikers, and just.... _be._ Be with Mina.

"Are we still talking about the paranormal?" Mina asked softly. Nayeon swallowed hard, lowering the camcorder just a bit. _What would she do,_ Nayeon wondered, _if I wanted to kiss her? Just to see what it's like._

"Oh. Well, that's discouraging." Mina had started walking again, and was standing at the edge of the trees, looking around distastefully.

"Uh, what?" Nayeon croaked. 

"We're back on the road. Guess none of the spooky stuff happens in there." Mina jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the forest as Nayeon joined her. 

_Are you seriously thinking about kissing Mina right now? You're working. When did you become so unprofessional?_

"Well, I vote we regroup with the others and see if they found anything. I'll text Jeongyeon to come get us." Mina mused. Nayeon tried to inhale as deeply as she could without sounding frantic. She glanced down the road, and paused. 

A woman was standing on the other side. Dressed in white, looking mournful. 

"You think she's lost?" Nayeon whispered. 

"Who?" Mina replied absently.

"Her." Nayeon nudged her, and when Mina looked up, her face drained of color almost at once. 

"Get your camera up." Mina breathed.

"Um-"

" _Do it."_

Nayeon swung the camcorder in the woman's direction, even as her skin began to crawl uncomfortably. She couldn't tell if the woman had noticed them or not. "Why are we filming her? She looks like she needs help." 

"The legend of the madman arsonist didn't end with the family's death." Mina whispered, walking very slowly forward. Bewildered, Nayeon followed. "The man's wife was reported several times as a wandering woman in white, going along the road in search of her children, and even her husband." 

"And we're going _towards her?"_

"She's not resentful to strangers. Or so they say-"

The woman had stiffened, and with the unnaturalness of something _other,_ her head turned towards them. Mina was in the road now, Nayeon hanging back about five feet. This was the opposite of what she should be doing as a videographer, but Nayeon was picking up on those sensations Mina had described before. The presence of this woman was _wrong._ Against nature. She shouldn't be here. 

Mina's voice recorder was out, and she was whispering hurriedly into it as they inched forward. "Before me seems to be an actual spirit...if I think correctly. The spirit of the wife of the arsonist at the mansion. Is she aware that she's trapped here? Does she need our assistance?" 

"Mina." Nayeon hissed urgently. The woman was staring at them, her clothes almost overly bright, her expression absolutely blank. Nayeon's oh hell nah meter was going insane. 

"Hello?" Mina called cautiously, taking another step forward. "Ma'am?" 

Nayeon was frozen in place. _This shouldn't be happening. What if something happens to Mina? This shouldn't be happening._

"Ma'am, can you hear me?" Mina asked carefully, pausing a few feet from the woman, who still hadn't moved. Nayeon had never felt this kind of _wrong_ before. This sick mix of curiosity and terror, and it was swelling in her chest, pressing up into her throat- 

_HONK_

Mina and Nayeon shrieked as the Suburban pulled to a stop behind them. Nayeon nearly dropped the camcorder. 

"What the hell are you doing in the middle of the road?" Jeongyeon yelled, rolling down her window.

"You saw her, right?" Nayeon asked desperately. She needed sanity right now, some reassurance that she wasn't going crazy. 

"Saw who?" Jeongyeon replied, looking confused. Nayeon gestured wildly behind herself, pointing at the woman and Mina. " _Her."_

"Mina...?"

Nayeon whirled around, but Mina was indeed alone, staring at the point where the woman had been, merely seconds ago. 

"No.....no....I _saw her."_

"Nayeon, get in the car." said Jeongyeon quietly. "We can talk about this at the hotel. There's some stuff we saw that we need to discuss."

The unsettled look in Jeongyeon's eyes, the uncertainty in her friend, who was always practical, always scoffing, always the voice of reason for them, both reassured and frightened Nayeon. Something was happening here. This trip wasn't just for fun or to practice videography anymore. Something was being revealed, piece by piece, state by state. 

Nayeon nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt soft fingers slip into hers. Looking over only showed her Mina. Mina, who was alive and warm and real. 

"Don't worry." Mina whispered, squeezing Nayeon's hand. To comfort Nayeon, but also to reassure herself that death wasn't the only reality here. "I saw her too." 

Nayeon began to calm down as she looked into Mina's eyes. There were good things in the world too. Not just crazy murderers and tragic ghosts. Things like Myoui Mina and her soft, warm eyes. 

"Let's get the fuck out of here." Nayeon said quietly, and they walked over to the car together. Mina never let go of her hand. 

_**High Point Creamery** _

_**6:30 PM MST  
** _

_**Denver, Colorado** _

"Sana, this is what I meant when I said don't spoil me." 

"But we're only gonna be here another day! We can't try all the flavors, so I did the next best thing and got five scoops." Sana pointed at each scoop with her spoon. "Brown sugar cinnamon, milk chocolate, basil with blackberry swirl, salted caramel, and Tahitian vanilla." 

Dahyun shook her head fondly as Sana pushed the bowl towards her. Sana had taken her role of spoiling very seriously: winning Dahyun a giant, ridiculous green and blue gorilla and a Pikachu earflap hat. The gorilla was tucked next to their table, and the earflap hat was settled snugly on her head. 

"Next date, _I'm_ winning you the silly prizes." Dahyun told her, before taking a spoonful of salted caramel. Sana frowned, pausing in her consumption of the blackberry swirl. 

"You think they're silly? Would you have wanted the iPad, or something more?" 

Dahyun laughed. "No, babe. You were about to clean that place out anyway, I'm pretty sure they thought you were cheating. It's fine. I like these. Especially since you won them for me." 

Sana's face lit up. "Only the best for you, darling." 

Dahyun sampled each scoop of ice cream, and she had to admit that this was absolutely better than churros. 

"You have something right there, Sana." Dahyun said around another mouthful of chocolate. She tapped her upper lip in response to Sana's questioning glance, but got an idea as Sana looked around for a napkin. Dahyun leaned across the table and kissed her, savoring the taste of both ice cream and Sana. 

"Was that just an excuse to get a kiss?" Sana asked disbelievingly as Dahyun sat back. 

"No, it was actually bothering me. But that's more fun than just wiping it off." Dahyun answered cheerfully.

"You're so corny, Dahyunnie. I hope you know that." Sana snorted. Her phone buzzed, and she glanced down at the screen. A soft smile upturned her cheeks, and she typed back quickly. Dahyun used the opportunity to take more vanilla. 

"What's got you so happy?" Dahyun eventually asked. Sana dropped her phone back on the table. 

"I asked Tzuyu, and she agreed." 

"Agreed to what?" 

Sana reached out and flicked a glob of ice cream off of Dahyun's shirt. "To switch rooms with you." 

Dahyun blinked hard, forgetting her next spoonful. Roommates with Sana? Where they could be together without disturbing Chaeyoung or Tzuyu, and Sana was available for cuddling and kisses and teaching photography to? 

"Unless you don't want that?" Sana said eventually. Dahyun shook her head hurriedly. 

"No, no, I do! I'm just- this is all so-"

Sana effectively cut off her impending rambling by leaning forward again and kissing her. 

"Finish your ice cream, Dahyun. Then we can go back to the hotel and help Tzuyu-ah move her luggage." 

"Yes, ma'am." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think hand holding is underrated. I find it so comforting and there should be more emphasis on it. Platonic, romantic, whatever. Saida has the right idea. 
> 
> The J line have the most dangerous pouts in Twice, if you ask me
> 
> This Yoshi plush doll is lowkey becoming a symbol of Minayeon, and that wasn't even my intention, but I'm rolling with it. 
> 
> Next stop is North Dakota


	9. Cracks In The Glass

_**Four Seasons Hotel** _

_**Denver, Colorado** _

_**9:15 PM MST** _

Nayeon was exhausted. 

Physically, from trekking through the forest. Mentally, from everything she'd witnessed and couldn't understand. Emotionally, from the presence of Mina. All she wanted to do was go back to bed, maybe listen to that one song Mina had recommended by Gorillaz (with a title like Empire Ants, it had potential to be either really great or really dumb), and not wake up until they were in North Dakota. But instead, she had to be in Jeongyeon and Momo's room with everyone else, struggling to hold back yawns as the rest of the ghost crew went through their footage. 

Sana and Dahyun looked relatively fresh, Nayeon thought grumpily as she eyed them from where they sat together on the bed, holding hands. _They'd_ gotten to enjoy the day and the city together, and didn't have to deal with all the paranoia and frustration. A flash of resentment flared in Nayeon's chest, but she immediately felt guilty as she watched Dahyun spring up to help Jihyo with her camera. It wasn't their fault. 

"Hey." Mina nudged her. She looked less affected than the rest of them. Paler than usual and exhausted, yes, but not as haunted. 

"You don't need to stay if you're super tired. I can tell you what happens." Mina offered. 

"No, I think I should see whatever this is for myself." Nayeon replied quietly, although a little tendril of affection unfolded within her at Mina's words. "I don't want to be wondering about it all night." 

Mina didn't say anything, merely reaching over and squeezing Nayeon's knee. A mix of pleasure and heavy, cold disappointment formed around Nayeon's heart, but before she could speak, Jihyo finally straightened up, looking pleased. 

"Finally! Okay, thank you Dahyun, for helping me link this to the laptop. First, we're going to show the footage Chaeyoung and I got, and then Jeongyeon and Momo's." Jihyo nodded at Jeongyeon, who was silent beside Momo. Everyone was subdued tonight, and that unnerved Nayeon. They dealt with their findings through laughter and poking fun, not this uncertain, billowing quiet. 

Jihyo waved them all forward, and when the group had found positions to watch the computer screen from, Jihyo took a deep breath and hit play. Chaeyoung was the one filming, and Jihyo was in frame, both of them walking along the edge of the forest, but not quite in it. 

"I'll bet you anything that we find the Blair Witch in there." came Chaeyoung's voice from behind the camera. Jihyo laughed, occasionally waving her flashlight up across the trees and brightening the leaves. 

"If you ask me, I don't think we're going to see anything, except maybe some deer. Or some beer bottles people tossed out of their cars-" She paused. 

"You see that?" Jihyo asked. 

The camera turned, and Jihyo was kneeling in the grass, frowning, examining something that glinted. 

"A piece of a chicken coop?" Chaeyoung questioned, as she walked closer. "What's that doing out here?" 

Jihyo cautiously poked at one of the wires with a stick. "It looks....bloody." 

Chaeyoung zoomed in, and there _was_ a layer of red-brown substance over the wires. 

"It's probably just rust." Chaeyoung said, although Nayeon could pick up a slight tremor in her tone. 

"Let's just keep going." Jihyo stood up uncertainly, her flashlight dangling from her fingers, and they kept walking. 

"That's your big revelation? You found a part of a chicken coop?" Jeongyeon asked. Her voice was unusually harsh, even for her skepticism. Jihyo didn't seem to notice. 

"Just keep watching." 

A few moments passed, and then Chaeyoung swore loudly, the camera dipping for a second. "What's _that_ doing here?"

Before them, on the opposite side of the road, loomed what looked like the abandoned frame of a cabin, with a sunken roof and deep scratches on the sides of the walls. 

"What's that shit written all over it?" Jihyo asked, walking closer. Chaeyoung zoomed in carefully to the front of the structure, revealing a black symbol, painted with spiky lines and jagged edges. Nayeon didn't recognize it, but she'd seen enough on this trip to have an idea of what it could be. 

"What the fuck..." Jihyo breathed, sweeping her flashlight over the symbol. "Is this-?" 

"Uh uh." said Chaeyoung, the camera backing away. "That's something demonic. I'm not- I don't- shit!" 

The camera jerked as Chaeyoung tripped, and another jostle as she swore again. 

"What? What?" Jihyo shouted. 

"There's a fucking _body._ Of some animal. A squirrel? It doesn't have its head..." 

The camera dipped down to a shot of the grass, and for a moment, all they could hear was Chaeyoung and Jihyo's heavy breathing. 

"I say we meet up with the others, and see what they found." said Jihyo finally, her voice shaking. "I've seen enough." 

"Don't need to tell me twice." Chaeyoung muttered, and they began power walking away from the cabin. "You think the others saw anything?" 

"I hope for Mina's sake yes, but for _our_ sake, no." Jihyo answered. The camera was steady again, and there were a few more moments of silence before Jihyo spoke up. 

"Do you see that yield sign?" 

"Huh?" 

"Chaeyoung-" Jihyo sounded frightened, and a thrill of fear traced its way down Nayeon's spine. Jihyo was the levelheaded one among them, keeping her cool even when the rest panicked, and hearing her like this was disturbing. "Look." 

The camera panned up to reveal a yield sign, just as Jihyo had said, but there was something streaked across it. Drying, red-brown streaks adorned the bottom of the sign, in the shape of handprints. 

"What the _fuck._ Is that-?" 

"Shut it off. _Shut it off now!"_ The video cut to black. 

Jeongyeon was the first to speak. "Look, I admit that the symbol was a bit creepy, but what, you actually think it was something demonic? It was probably some local teens doing vandalism. It's not real evidence." 

"Jeongyeon-" 

"And headless animals? We were in the outdoors. Animals kill each other all the time." Jeongyeon pressed on, her voice tight with something more than scorn. 

"What, another squirrel ripped its head off?" Chaeyoung asked angrily. There was a tension starting to brew in the air, stemming from a wild uncomfortableness Nayeon could feel from Jeongyeon, a fear she was trying to bury under exasperation and contempt. 

"And that fucking sign? Come on, it was paint-" 

"I know what dried blood fucking looks like!" Jihyo snapped, her voice starting to rise. "It's right there on the goddamn recording, and you still won't accept it?" 

"Hey!" Nayeon interrupted, as Jeongyeon's eyes narrowed to slits, the others leaning away uneasily. 

"Enough! We're not here to argue over the likelihood. We're just showing what we captured. Jihyo and Chaeyoung showed theirs, and now it's your turn." 

Jeongyeon glared at her, turning away and muttering under her breath as Momo quietly came forward, unhooking Chaeyoung's camera and plugging in her own. 

It hadn't been this uncomfortable as a group since the very beginning of the trip. Everyone looked on edge, except for Sana and Dahyun, who looked bewildered as the others refused to face each other. Nayeon stared down at her hands, trying to stop her leg from bouncing anxiously, and jolted a little in surprise when Mina took her hand. Nayeon glanced up at her, and Mina gave her a brief smile before returning her attention to the screen. 

She'd been holding Nayeon's hand off and on for the whole car ride back, and whether it was her way of comforting Nayeon, or just because she wanted to touch someone and Nayeon was closest, Nayeon liked it. 

The video on screen had begun, and the footage was of Momo filming in the Suburban with Jeongyeon in the drivers' seat and Tzuyu behind them. 

"We seriously walked for 15 minutes, and we didn't see shit." Jeongyeon groaned, leaning her head back against the headrest and closing her eyes. 

"Ah well, I'm sure the others did." Momo said, the camera slowly zooming in on Jeongyeon's face until the screen was just an image of her nose. 

"Momo, if you don't get that thing away from my face-" 

"Someone else is here." Tzuyu said. 

"Where?" 

The camera quickly zoomed out, and swung around to show a black Camaro a few feet down the road. 

"Why are their headlights off?" Jeongyeon wondered. 

"You think they need help?" Tzuyu asked. 

"Not sure....they're just sitting there."

"Maybe we should go ask them." 

"I don't like this." Jeongyeon said, and the camera flipped back to show her and Tzuyu looking tense. "People are too crazy these days-"

"Oh _shit-"_

The camera swung around again to show the Camaro speeding past, nearly clipping the Suburban, and then the camera dropped. 

"You saw that, right?" 

"No, no, it's impossible." 

"There was _no driver!"_

"I- I-" Jeongyeon's voice was trembling, and the footage was nothing but shaky as Momo picked the camera back up. 

"Enough." Jeongyeon leaned forward and hit the space bar violently before walking away, pinching the bridge of her nose. Nayeon's fingers were clenching hard around Mina's, thoughts flickering at a dizzying rate. 

Was this real? Were the legends _real?_ All of them looked just as lost and confused, even Tzuyu, and Nayeon had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from losing it. 

Jeongyeon walked back over, her expression settled in a fragile, determined mask. 

"They make self driving cars now." she said. 

"Jeongyeon, that was an _old_ Camaro. Those don't drive themselves." Momo pointed out. 

"It had to be. There is _no other explanation!"_ Jeongyeon snarled, and she wheeled around to face Mina. "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? Just like Montana! You knew this shit was going to happen, and you took us out there anyway for your little _project."_

"No I didn't! I've never been here before. I-" Mina started. Dahyun's gaze darted between them as Jeongyeon's face drained of color. 

"In Montana? What about Montana?"

But neither Jeongyeon nor Mina responded, Jeongyeon advancing on Mina, even as Momo tried to pull her back. "You and your goddamn _theories,_ and _stories._ You've got a lot of nerve stringing us all along like this, and what do we even have to show for it? What are we even _doing_ here? Do you even know? Cause frankly, it seems like you're pulling it all out of your ass-" 

"Jeongyeon, _stop."_ Nayeon leapt to her feet, the look on Mina's face ripping at her heart. Maybe she'd been questioning this trip herself, and had her own doubts, but this was everything to Mina. She'd already had enough to deal with from her parents. Nayeon wasn't going to let Jeongyeon, or anyone else, make Mina doubt herself any further. 

"We're all here for a reason, and whatever we think about what's going on, we made a commitment. Some, well, messed up things have happened, but it's up to us as researchers to keep going. We're going through the hard parts that other people can't. We've already come this far, and we can't give up now." Nayeon said, shooting Jeongyeon a pointed look. The questioning feeling she'd been internally wrestling with was overshadowed by her determination. Both for herself, and for Mina. 

The others exchanged glances. 

"I agree." said Tzuyu quietly. "I still don't know what to make of most of this, but I think we owe it to each other, and Mina, to finish." 

There was a quiet murmur of assent. Mina's hand squeezed hers, and when Nayeon looked down, her eyes were shining. _Thank you,_ she mouthed. 

Everyone jumped at the slam of the front door, and Momo sighed. "I'll go talk to her." she mumbled, rubbing at her eyes and going after Jeongyeon. 

_**Home2 Suites** _

_**Bismarck, North Dakota** _

_**4 PM CST** _

Nayeon was uneasy. 

On the outside, it appeared that the crew was doing fine: they'd arrived in North Dakota, chattering like always, Momo excited and getting her opening footage. But the internal cracks were there. Jeongyeon had apologized profusely to Mina, who'd accepted it with a wobbly smile, but there was still a brimming pressure, not just between the two of them, but the whole group. It was like they'd lost the rhythm of their dynamic and couldn't figure out how to get it back. 

And as for Nayeon with Mina, she wished it could be as easy as Sana and Dahyun were now. Sure, it had taken them forever to acknowledge it, but it was _obvious_ that they both liked each other. Nayeon could never get a reading on Mina- sometimes she wanted to be close and sometimes she isolated herself. Sometimes she held Nayeon's hand, and sometimes she only acknowledged her with those polite smiles. Sometimes, it seemed like she wanted to be around only Nayeon, and sometimes, well- 

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you guys?" Nayeon asked Mina for the third time, watching Momo and Jihyo drag their cases to the car. They were heading to Tagus, a ghost town about two hours from Bismarck. For the first time, it would only be the three of them. Chaeyoung had offered to go, but Mina had turned her down, encouraging her to go have fun with Tzuyu and Dahyun. Nayeon had been sure that Mina would ask for her instead, but no such luck. It made her feel rejected and hot with shame. 

"Yeah. Honestly, we'll be fine, Nayeon." Mina replied, stopping and giving her one of those looks that seemed to pierce right through her. 

"Um, okay. I guess I'll work on editing..." Nayeon mumbled, trying not to show how disappointed she was. 

Mina walked up to her, nudging Nayeon until she looked up. "It's not that I don't want you to be there....honestly, it's the opposite. I think I'd be too distracted if you were." Mina admitted quietly. 

"You would?" 

"Yeah." Mina said, Nayeon's favorite smile turning up the corners of her mouth. "In a good way. But you have stuff to work on, so..." 

She was distracting to Mina. In a _good_ way. "Uh, yeah. Editing. I'll get on that." 

The horn beeped insistently behind them, and Nayeon looked over to see Jihyo waving Mina over wildly. 

"Sorry, I gotta go. I'll text you when we get there." Mina said, picking up her case. Nayeon's pulse jumped at the soft look in Mina's eyes. All these double meanings and laced sentences were too much for her. Wasn't she supposed to be the one getting Mina to fall for her? 

"Sounds good." 

Mina smiled again, and after a brief pause, gave Nayeon a soft little kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later, Nayeon-ah." she said quietly, and jogged off to the Suburban without looking back. 

Nayeon's heart was beating in such erratic rhythms that it was hard to breathe. But as she turned back for the hotel and touched her cheek, she couldn't stop the massive smile that erupted across her face. 

_I'm gonna tell her how I feel when they get back,_ Nayeon decided. _I'm really gonna do it._

**_Tagus, North Dakota_ **

**_7 PM CST_ **

Jihyo was torn. 

Mina was her best friend, and the only thing she'd wanted for this whole trip was for it to go right for her. She knew how much its success meant to Mina, and even aside from that, it was an opportunity for her to get away from that artificial ass house she lived in. She still wanted Mina to be happy, to have that success if she could. 

But, as they walked through this abandoned, destitute town, searching through the various structures left behind and the uncut, scratchy grass, Jihyo wondered if Mina even knew why she was still doing this. Mina had been overly determined the whole car ride, refusing to answer any of Jihyo's questions, and when they'd arrived, she'd started right away without so much as a warning. 

"...Tagus was founded in early 1900, always being a fairly small establishment. In the 1970 census, its population was counted as just 14. In current times, it's pretty much abandoned, with only a handful of residents, and the scattered structures of abandoned housing and buildings. Momo, get a shot of that." 

Mina pointed at a worn down, aged white house, with its paint chipped and roof in shambles. As Momo nodded and walked closer to get different angles, Jihyo glanced at Mina in concern. She was speaking in a frenzied, fevered manner, unlike her usual crispness and smooth flow. 

"Hey, you feeling okay?" Jihyo asked, pulling Mina to the side. 

"Fine. Why do you ask?" 

"You're flushed and sweating, for one. And you're not talking like yourself. You've fumbled a lot of what you've said since we got here, and you hate when that happens..."

"I'm fine!" Mina answered brightly, although she didn't look at Jihyo. "Just excited to get to that church I told you about. It's the Stairway to Hell, after all."

Jihyo examined her thoroughly, the way her hair stuck to her temples with sweat, the slight twitching of her fingers as she curled them in and out, the way she couldn't keep from bouncing foot to foot. "Does this have anything to do with Nayeon, and why you wouldn't let her come?" she asked. 

That seemed to jolt something in Mina, and now she looked over at Jihyo, the frantic light in her eyes fading a bit. "Nayeon-?" she echoed. 

"Don't lie to me. You made her stay behind for a reason. What was it?" 

Mina hesitated as Momo came back towards them. "Okay fine, I know what you want to hear. I'll admit it. I like her, okay? Far, far too much. Now drop it." 

She stalked away before Jihyo could respond. 

"Momo, are you ready? We're going to the church next." 

"Church?" Jihyo heard Momo say worriedly as they followed Mina, but she barely registered it. She'd had a suspicion for a while that Nayeon and Mina were....involved somehow, maybe even hooking up on the low, but it was clear from the way Mina just reacted that that wasn't the case. If that was true, why hadn't either made a move yet? It wasn't like with Sana and Dahyun. So- 

Jihyo's thoughts were interrupted as she took notice of where they were. The area certainly looked abandoned: the grass unkempt and overgrown, and the only building in sight an old, half destroyed Lutheran church. The blackened point on top was illuminated with an abnormal undertone, the front steps tangled with weeds and growth, and the bricks faded, dust choked, and showing remnants of scars from fire. Jihyo paused a few feet from Momo, exchanging uneasy looks with her as Mina went right up the steps. 

"Why are you two so far away? Come, come!" Mina shouted. 

Uneasiness burned in Jihyo's gut, but she started forward as Mina continued with her narration. 

"The history behind this church is rather _sinister-_ once a place of worship, but it also doubled as a hot spot for Satanic services. As you can see from the exterior, it was burned down, but according to legend, the screams of the souls trapped in hell can be heard from _just_ the right spot." Mina gave them a cheeky, disconcerting smirk and pointed at the doors. 

"Mina, this doesn't look safe." Momo protested. 

"Where's your sense of adventure? The damned await us!" Mina called back, pushing the darkened doors open and ducking inside. 

"Is she okay?" Momo whispered. She looked as exhausted as Jihyo felt, which was understandable, seeing as she was juggling the duties of recording and editing along with keeping Jeongyeon in check. 

"I don't know." Jihyo muttered. "This wasn't a good idea. I don't really want to go in there, but..."

Momo sighed resignedly, walking towards the steps, Jihyo following her carefully. She didn't like the eeriness of this environment any more than Momo did, but they had a job to do.

"Mina?" Momo called, pushing open the doors and peering inside cautiously. "It's dark as fuck in here, I can't believe she's doing this." 

"Over here, you guys!" Mina's voice resonated from across the room, and Jihyo's eyebrows pulled together at the sight of her standing up by the altar, beaming. _Beaming,_ in this desolate space. 

"Mina, don't you see how fucked up this place is? It's falling apart. We need to leave." Jihyo said firmly, trying to ignore the shadows in the corners and the ominousness clinging to the walls. 

"We haven't found the _spot!_ We need to, _I_ need to." Mina protested, taking a step towards them. Jihyo had never seen her like this, so desperate and unhinged, and it scared her more than the church. 

"Jihyo's right. We can't stay here." said Momo, backing away towards the doors. Mina rolled her eyes and took another step. 

"When did you become such cowards? Don't you understand? This will be the perfect-" 

There was an earsplitting crack, and a chunk of beam right above Mina split off from the rest. There was a horrifying moment of stillness, and then it plunged down, squarely on Mina. Mina dropped to the stone floor with a sickening thump, and Jihyo's blood ran cold.

 _"_ Mina. _Mina!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My motivation for finishing this chapter was sponsored by Lilifilm 5. Lalisa Manoban, I'm suing you. Nobody asked you to come for my neck like that.
> 
> Sorry about that cliffhanger


	10. Feelings, So Deep In My Feelings

**_Home2 Suites_ **

**_8:15 PM CST_ **

**_Bismarck, North Dakota_ **

"Nayeon, that's the fourth time in the last five minutes you've checked your phone."

"So?" 

Jeongyeon sighed in a long-suffering manner, throwing down a red Uno card in the pile. Nayeon had invited her and Sana to play a few games with her, after she'd finished editing and been unable to keep her mind off of the ghost crew. She'd honestly tried to focus on just the game, but it wasn't really working. 

"Mina will text you when they're done. Stop obsessing over it, okay? It's not healthy." 

Nayeon resisted the urge to press the home button on her phone again, even though the screen would light up when Mina finally responded, and she had Mina's notifications specifically turned on. So far, Mina had only texted her to let her know they'd arrived, but hadn't answered in a while. Probably because they were _filming. Get a grip, Nayeon._

Sana laughed quietly as she added her own card to the pile. "I never thought I'd see you this whipped, Nayeon-ah." 

Nayeon scowled fiercely as Jeongyeon's head snapped around to Sana. "Whipped? For who? Mina?" Jeongyeon asked. Her gaze flickered to Nayeon incredulously. 

"Wait, you're- you _like_ Mina? Since _when?"_

Nayeon shot Sana a poisonous look, who just shrugged and smiled. "I- not that long." Nayeon muttered, aware her ears were heating up and hating every moment of it. 

Jeongyeon flung her cards down, losing all interest in the game. "And you told Sana and not me? Don't you think I would've wanted to know? You guys _hated_ each other before we left, and-" 

Nayeon's phone buzzed, and she'd never felt so grateful to see the screen light up as she snatched at it. To her disappointment, the message was from Jihyo. She frowned as she tapped the text open. 

**Jihyo:** _Bad news. Something happened to Mina at the church we went to, and we had to take her to the hospital_

Nayeon's stomach seemed to turn in on itself, contorting horribly as her eyes widened and fear clenched at her insides. 

"Hey. Everything good?" Sana asked. Nayeon only barely noticed the concerned looks on her and Jeongyeon's faces. "You just went super pale." 

**Nayeon:** _How bad? Is she okay? What happened?_

"Um, something happened where they went. Mina's in the hospital." Nayeon muttered, trying to taper down her rapid breaths. What if it was something serious? What if one of those devils had taken over and fucked with her, or left claw marks on her torso, or broken her bones, or- 

"Hey. _Hey."_ Jeongyeon was gripping her shoulders, forcing Nayeon to look at her straight on. "Listen to me. Whatever happened, Jihyo and Momo are there with her. She's where she needs to be, and they will take care of her." 

"But what if it's serious?" Nayeon choked out, panic thrumming throughout her body. She jumped up, unable to stay still, images of a bloodied Mina, a disfigured Mina flashing through her mind. She should've insisted on going with them. Maybe she could've protected her. 

"Nayeon-ah. Working yourself into a panic attack won't help." Sana said vehemently, grabbing her wrist. "You need to stay calm, and we'll wait for updates, okay? That's what we can do." 

Nayeon hesitated, wanting to pull away and run right out the door, wanting to find Mina herself, but that wasn't happening. She took a deep breath, trying to match hers to Sana. "Right." 

_Buzz_

**Jihyo:** _It's not great, but could've been a hell of a lot worse. A piece of wood broke off from the ceiling and got her right in the middle of her back. She has severe contusions all over, but nothing broken. They're giving her prescription medicine, and then we're coming back with her_

Mina was okay. She was going to be all right. Nayeon pressed a hand over her mouth, tears pricking at the back of her eyes with relief. 

"What? _What?_ Is she okay?" Jeongyeon demanded. Nayeon handed her the phone to read, slumping down on a chair while Sana and Jeongyeon read together. Mina was okay. She was going to be fine. 

"Oh, thank God." Sana muttered, pushing her hands through her hair and letting out a shaky sigh. Jeongyeon set Nayeon's phone on her bed. 

"I think we should let the others know about this. Are they back yet?" she asked Sana.

"Yeah, they're in our room, watching a movie, according to Dahyun." 

"Okay, we're going to tell them, Nayeon. Let us know if Jihyo updates you again." Jeongyeon told her. Nayeon tried to make herself focus, nodding. 

"I will." 

She rested her head against the chair as Sana and Jeongyeon left, wondering when exactly Myoui Mina had become so important to her. Sure, she'd be upset if the same thing had happened to any of them, but there was something about Mina in particular that tugged on her heartstrings. It was like she'd burrowed her way into Nayeon's heart, without her even noticing. And that cheek kiss? If Nayeon wasn't a goner before, she certainly was now. 

Which, of course, made her feelings even _more_ aggravating. Usually, she was the smooth one. _She_ was the flirt. People fell for her, not the other way around. And of all people who could've broken that pattern, it had to be Mina. Ridiculous. 

She heard a soft couple of knocks on the door, and wasn't surprised when she answered to see a drained looking Jihyo on the other side. 

"Hey." said Nayeon, pulling her in for a hug. "You okay? I know this had to be stressful for you." 

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll manage. It was just a fucking ordeal. Seeing that beam fall down on her..." Jihyo swallowed hard. "It was horrible. I thought it broke her neck." 

"But she's fine? Seriously?" 

Jihyo rubbed at her eyes. "Yeah. I mean, her back is fucked up and she's not supposed to do any strenuous activities for at least a week, but nothing's broken. She's just very tired." 

"Ah." Nayeon had figured as much, but couldn't help feeling disappointed. She shoved it down. _Not about you, Nayeon. She needs her sleep._ "Well, is she resting?" 

"Well, she's in our room, propped up on some pillows, but actually, that's why I'm here. She asked me to come get you. Specifically." Jihyo said, tossing her their key card. "I'm going to see if I can get any ice packs for her from downstairs, so you'll have privacy." 

"She wanted me? Specifically?" 

"Yup. Try not to rile her up for tonight, hmm?" Jihyo asked. The look Jihyo was giving her was strange. Not mocking or amused, but almost hopeful. Like she knew something Nayeon didn't. 

"Right. Um, thanks, Jihyo-ah." Nayeon replied. Jihyo gave her a brief smile and headed down the hall. Nayeon took a deep breath to steady herself. 

_She asked for you. Don't fuck it up._

When she got to Mina and Jihyo's door, she hesitated for just a few seconds, then knocked lightly and let herself in. Mina was indeed sitting up in bed, propped against several pillows, the plush Yoshi in her lap. She looked up as Nayeon entered, and a tired smile broke across her face, but she didn't say anything. 

"Hey, princess." said Nayeon quietly, halting beside the bed. She was unsure of how much space Mina would want, and invading that space was the last thing she wanted to do. Even if there was a little curl of hair resting against her temple, and Nayeon's fingers itched to do something about it. 

"Hi." Mina replied. She seemed to be drinking in Nayeon's appearance, eyes lingering on different parts of Nayeon's body. 

"You don't have to stand the whole time. Come here." said Mina, patting the mattress. Swallowing, Nayeon inched forward until she could perch on the very edge of the bed. Mina rolled her eyes. 

"What, you've been all up in my space for ages, and you're suddenly afraid to be near me? Come on." 

Nayeon obliged, coming around until she was settled right beside Mina, their arms almost touching. Mina's free hand was laying on the bed, barely inches away, and Nayeon wanted to grasp it, to really reassure herself that Mina was fine. But she didn't. _Not about you._

"How are you feeling?" Nayeon asked eventually. "Jihyo told me what happened, and..."

Mina sighed. "Well, my back fucking hurts. But thankfully, nothing else was wrong. I just have to take it easy for a while, keep icing it. The trip might be on pause." She frowned, squeezing the plush a little harder. 

"We'll all help you out. Don't worry about that. But that's not the priority, you being okay is." Nayeon told her firmly. Mina met her eyes, and Nayeon's senses began to hum again. The shift in atmosphere was subtle, but electric, and Nayeon wasn't sure if she should break it or not. 

"I was being stupid." Mina muttered after a moment. "That's why this happened. Jihyo could tell something was wrong. She always knows. But I brushed her off." 

"About what?" 

Mina took a deep breath, wincing slightly, and the unsteadiness in it gave Nayeon a bit of reassurance. At least she wasn't the only one who ever got nervous. 

"Part of it was the investigation. I wanted to show that what we were doing was actually significant, that we're not just out here for shits and giggles. But, some things are better left alone. I've been learning that." Mina tapped her fingers against the blanket, the pulse beating rapidly in her throat. 

"But....the other part are these feelings. I'm not used to feeling so captivated by another person. It scared me. Jihyo knows because, again, she knows everything. But I couldn't admit it to anybody else. I could barely admit it to myself." 

The blood was rushing in Nayeon's ears now, the electricity so fierce she could almost feel it sparking off of their skin. "Feelings for who?" she asked. 

It was obvious, but Nayeon wanted to hear her say it. She wanted to know it was real outside of her wishful thinking. Mina looked over at her with exasperation. 

"You're just as annoying as ever, you know that?" she complained. 

Nayeon waited. 

Mina groaned, shifting impatiently. " _Fine._ It's you, you obnoxious, stubborn egoist." 

The smile that erupted across Nayeon's face hurt, it was so wide. Mina glanced up again and rolled her eyes, smiling herself. 

"Your cheeks are cute when you smile like that. All puffed out." Mina tapped one and dropped her hand. 

"I like you too." Nayeon said quietly. 

The atmosphere shifted again, something thicker and heavier lingering in the air. Nayeon honestly tried to keep her eyes away from Mina's lips, but she was failing miserably. And Mina had definitely picked up on it. 

"If you want something, take it, Nayeon-ah." Mina said, her tone low and husky and not at all like how it usually sounded. Nayeon swallowed thickly, aware that this was her moment. She'd tested Mina, and Mina had risen to the challenge. Now, Mina was calling _her_ bluff. 

Nayeon leaned forward slowly, searching Mina's face for any indication that this was a joke. Mina only stared back at her, gaze dark and unreadable, and almost too intimidating. But Nayeon could see her fingers trembling, and it gave her the push she needed to swallow back her nerves, and kiss her. 

Mina tasted a little sweet, a little cool, but her lips were just as soft as they looked. Nayeon kind of felt like pinching herself to make sure this was real. She drew back after a moment, anxiously searching Mina's expression again. "Um, was that-" 

Mina closed the gap this time, effectively cutting Nayeon off with a press of her lips. Maybe it was a bit awkward, with their noses bumping when Nayeon ended up turning the same direction as Mina, but the gentle laugh Mina let out soothed Nayeon's tension and allowed her to just enjoy, just _be_ with Mina. 

Nayeon only reluctantly pulled away again when it became difficult to breathe, and was pleased with how flushed Mina looked. All because of her. 

"Um...so does this mean-?" Nayeon asked, rubbing the back of her head as she tried not to blush. Mina smiled, the full smile that scrunched her eyes, and shrugged. 

"I don't know, does it?" 

Nayeon let her gaze slide down Mina's body, taking in an image she was quickly becoming addicted to, and nodded with conviction. "Yeah. It does. I just thought I had to be imagining all of this. I mean, you've been a slave to your work, and I thought I'd be getting in the way of that....if it was true." 

Mina considered her, and then pulled Nayeon towards her by the shirt, kissing her softly. 

"Well, now I'm yours." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Normally I would've taken a little longer between uploads, but I've been waiting since the beginning of this fic to write this chapter and I couldn't help myself. It took 10 chapters but we've arrived at Minayeon! 
> 
> We're also about halfway through this fic. Next stop is South Dakota, and we'll be back on track with Saida, spookiness, and some Minayeon fluff


	11. Holding Hands While The Walls Come Tumbling Down

_**Clubhouse Hotel & Suites ** _

_**Pierre, South Dakota** _

_**8:45 AM CST** _

Warm. 

Nayeon was way too warm. 

What was the deal? 

She frowned, still not opening her eyes, and rolled over. Her arm hit something soft, and her eyes flew open, about to push the intruder away. 

_Oh yeah._

Mina was laying next to her, most of the pillows from both her and Nayeon's bed propped under her back, still fast asleep. They'd tentatively told the rest of the crew about their relationship (it was still mind boggling for Nayeon to think about) that night back in North Dakota. Their reactions had ranged from smug (Jihyo and Jeongyeon) to squealing (Sana, Chaeyoung, and Momo) to incredulous (Dahyun) to even _more_ smug (Tzuyu), but they'd accepted it. 

On the way to South Dakota, they'd gotten to nestle together in the backseat, the way Sana and Dahyun usually did. Not that Nayeon was whipped, but between Mina holding her hand the entire hour and twenty minute ride, and how Mina had kissed her no less than four times, it had been her favorite ride so far, without question. 

And now....here they were. Having a sleepover of sorts, because Nayeon still had her own room for some reason. That needed to change soon. Sorry, Jihyo, you're the odd one out. Nayeon propped up on her elbow, taking in Mina's appearance for a second. It wasn't picturesque- her hair was all messy, and half of her face was pressed into a pillow, but it all made Nayeon's heart swell because Mina was _hers._

 _I'm bored. She needs to wake up._ Nayeon thought, and reached out to touch Mina's cheek, hesitating at the last moment. She still wasn't used to being able to _act_ on those private wishes she'd been holding in for ages. It felt strange knowing that she could touch Mina, and not feel ashamed or awkward about it. 

Mina was soft and warm and her cheeks were squishable, so Nayeon could get over it. She reached out again and clasped Mina's face between her hands, squeezing her cheeks gently. "Mina....:"

"Mmph." 

"Mina, wake up." 

Mina grumbled and shifted, trying to twist away with her eyes still shut. Nayeon leaned forward and kissed her firmly. 

"Wake up, princess." 

Mina's eyes slowly slid open, and Nayeon laughed at how she managed to look both remarkably flushed and annoyed at once. "What time is it?" she yawned. 

Nayeon let go of her face to check her phone. "Almost 9." 

"Ugh. And you couldn't let me sleep because?" Mina asked. 

"I was bored." Nayeon admitted shamelessly. "And you're cute when you sleep, but you're even cuter when you're pretending to be all grumpy at me." 

A small smile upturned Mina's cheeks, and she hummed as she slipped her fingers into Nayeon's. A little shock of pleasure lit up Nayeon's chest. 

"You're lucky I like you so much." Mina mumbled, snuggling closer and hiding her face in the crook of Nayeon's neck. "Anyone else would've gotten smacked with a pillow." 

Nayeon kissed the top of her head. "I have no doubt in my mind you'll still do that to me at some point." 

She felt Mina giggle, and then press a soft kiss to her pulse point. "You're right. Now, can you do something for me?"

"Sure." 

Mina tapped her jaw, and when Nayeon looked down, she pressed a fleeting but satisfying kiss on Nayeon's lips. "Be quiet and hold me?" she requested. 

All thoughts of getting up to have breakfast, to get dressed and be productive flew out the door. If this was what Mina wanted, then that's what she would get. 

"No problem, babe." Nayeon yawned herself, wrapping both arms around Mina's shoulders and resting her cheek against Mina's hair. Technically, she should be letting Mina get ready for the meeting with some of the crew to go over Mina's notes for South Dakota, but as far as Nayeon was concerned, her only true obligation was to stay right here. 

They were almost back to sleep when Nayeon's phone buzzed, sharply and demanding against the nightstand. She groaned loudly as she reached over, squinting at the screen. 

**Dahyun:** _Is Mina ready? I tried texting her but no response. I need to go over today's notes with her, since we're supposed to be leaving in a couple hours_

"Who's that?" Mina asked indistinctly.

"Dahyun...she needs to talk to you." 

"Oh yeah." Mina shifted at that, attempting to sit up, but Nayeon whined and held on tighter. 

"She doesn't need you, they've got the Internet." she complained. 

"That's true, but my notes are ready, so it's faster. Plus, the sooner I go over them with her, the sooner I can be back here with you." Mina nudged Nayeon's chin with her finger. Nayeon sighed, but finally released Mina, although not before pulling her back in for another kiss. 

She knew this was a necessity, seeing as Mina couldn't do any strenuous activities for at least another week, and ghost hunting counted as strenuous. But Mina wanted to make sure that the trip didn't lag behind, so she'd come up with the idea of handing over her basic notes for the next few states to whoever was leading the investigation that week. Nayeon knew it frustrated Mina to no end, but her health was the most important thing here, and if left up to Mina, she'd probably try to sneak out on her own. 

Nayeon watched Mina slowly bustle around, getting herself together with the occasional wince. A pang went through Nayeon's heart, and she slid to the edge of the bed, reaching out as Mina passed by to grab her hips. 

"You sure you don't want me to come with you?" 

Mina hummed, running her fingers lightly through Nayeon's hair and scratching at her scalp. "I'm just going down the hall to their room, Nayeon-ah. I don't need an escort."

Nayeon pouted, and Mina glanced down and looked away immediately. "Stop that." she groaned. 

Nayeon grinned before grabbing Mina's hands and pecking her knuckles. "It's fine. I can behave myself and wait." 

"Good. I won't be long, anyway. We can grab breakfast after, if you want." Mina leaned down and kissed Nayeon once, twice, three times before seizing her phone and slipping out the door. 

Breakfast did sound good, Nayeon decided as she flopped on Mina's side of the bed and buried her face in a pillow. But an extra 20 minutes of sleep sounded even better. 

_**Pine Ridge Reservation** _

_**Oglala, South Dakota** _

_**1:30 PM CST** _

Dahyun scrolled through the notes she'd taken from Mina on her phone for the twentieth time since they'd left. This was the first excursion without Mina, and the fact that she'd trusted Dahyun to be the head of it both exhilarated and unnerved her. She wanted to do a great job and make Mina happy, but what if she couldn't? What if she couldn't pull off that commanding and eerie presence Mina always did? What if- 

"Hey." 

Someone tapped her arm, and Dahyun looked up to see Sana staring at her concernedly. "Everything okay? The others are already ready." 

Dahyun glanced out the window of the Suburban, where Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon, and Momo were indeed waiting next to the wooden "Entering Pine Ridge Reservation" sign. 

"Yeah, um, just going over some last minute stuff." Dahyun mumbled. More than just doing well for Mina, or doing a good job in general, Dahyun wanted to impress Sana, and show her that she was just as talented as Nayeon or Momo in her own way. 

"You've looked over those notes 500 times. How do you not have them memorized?" Sana laughed. She trailed off when Dahyun gave her a weak smile and looked back down, tapping her phone against her leg. 

"Dahyunnie, look at me." 

Dahyun met Sana's eyes, still marveling at how they managed to look adorably soft and so perceptive at the same time. 

"You're going to be fine. Mina trusted you with this for a reason, because she believes in you. The crew is out there because they trust you too. And me. I believe in you, Dahyunnie." Sana smiled at her, a full, lovely smile that touched Dahyun's heart and allowed her to take a deep, calming breath. 

"You're right. I can do this." 

Sana beamed and leaned forward to peck her on the lips. "That's my girl. Now, let's get started." 

They climbed out of the car, shielding their eyes against the excessive sunlight, and Jeongyeon looked up as they came out. 

"Finally! I was starting to think we'd all die of old age before you joined us. That might've made for interesting footage. I expect you two can keep it toned down for the next hour or so?" 

"No promises." Sana said cheerfully, kissing Dahyun's cheek before looking across the flat area around them. "So where do we need to go for filming? This doesn't look like the right spot." 

"There's some woods where the spirit we're documenting is supposed to linger in." Dahyun responded, glancing over the notes again. "I guess we head for there." 

"Let's do it." said Momo, her camera already out and filming, although Dahyun couldn't imagine how the yellow-green grass and hazy blue sky could be of any interest to the documentary. They walked for about twenty minutes, occasionally coming across a resident and respectfully explaining what they were doing, but Dahyun spent most of it in silence. Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung, and Momo were discussing everything and nothing, but Sana had chosen to hang back with Dahyun, holding her hand and giving her a reassuring smile and squeeze every time Dahyun looked up. 

Finally, they came across what certainly looked like a haunt for potential ghosts: a thick layer of trees at the edge of the reservation, looming and dark even in the middle of the afternoon. Dahyun slowed as she examined the branches and the scarred looking brown bark. 

"Are we really going in there?" Chaeyoung asked, looking dubiously at the woods as she fidgeted with her camera. 

"That's where Walking Sam is supposed to be, yes." Dahyun answered distractedly. 

" _Walking Sam?"_ Jeongyeon asked, but to her credit, she didn't say anything more, merely turning her attention back to Momo. She'd really been trying to keep her skeptic comments down since the argument, and although they slipped out sometimes, Dahyun knew Mina appreciated the effort. 

"Ready when you are, Dahyunnie." Sana said, holding her own camera up and flashing her an encouraging glance. 

"Right. Just, uh, give me a moment." Dahyun mumbled as she took a deep breath. _How does Mina start these?_

"Okay, you guys can start rolling."

She felt the shift in atmosphere as the crew settled into work mode, and Momo gave her an absent thumbs up from behind the camera to let Dahyun know she could begin. 

_3..._

_2..._

_1..._

"We are currently at the Pine Ridge reservation in Oglala, South Dakota, a rather quiet and scenic area." Dahyun began as they started to walk into the woods. Her heart was thumping nervously, but the others seemed much too focused to pick up on her nerves, and it encouraged her. 

"Much like several of the other legends we've documented, the story we are currently focusing on is rooted in Native American culture. From the Lakota and Dakota tribes, and even recorded as far back as 1974 by the Dakota Sioux and Little Eagle tribes, Walking Sam is a specter lingering around this very reservation, with sinister intentions." 

Dahyun vaguely noticed Chaeyoung and Sana look at each other questioningly, and the slight shiver that went down Momo's spine, and even how the sunlight seemed to glint coldly, but she was starting to understand Mina's mindset when she did this. There was only the research, and the truth they were searching for. Nothing else. 

"It is not clear exactly what Walking Sam is, perhaps a shadow person, or a spirit, but his description is always the same: tall, sometimes as high as seven feet, with gangly lambs, occasionally glowing white eyes, and a top hat." 

Thankfully, Jeongyeon kept silent. 

"The most disturbing part of his appearance are the pale figures hanging from his arms, which are the souls of the victims Walking Sam has claimed." Dahyun continued. She gestured at the trees around them, which the cameras followed carefully. 

"He lurks in this area, making his presence known by whistling, which cuts through the trees at a piercing volume, and then, the voices start." 

Dahyun knew this was a bit ridiculous, but was taken aback by how formal and cold her tone had become. It wasn't intentional, but maybe that was just the effect of the research. Of the woods...

"Walking Sam whispers to those who linger, with voices in their head telling them that they're worthless, that their lives have no meaning, and the presence of death will coil around them. This continues until the victim gives in and commits suicide." 

" _Fuck..."_ she heard Jeongyeon breathe. The crew had almost entirely stopped walking, and Dahyun waved them forward impatiently. 

"He is supposedly associated with the wave of mysterious suicide attempts- 103 by 2014- at this reservation. Only nine of them were successful, but all of the victims were young, between the ages of 12 and 24. That is the alleged favorite prey of Walking Sam: young people." 

It had grown eerily silent as Dahyun slowed. She resisted the urge to shiver, even with the pulsing heat around them. It seemed more closed in now, a little harder to breathe. The others looked just as uneasy, but stayed focused on Dahyun. 

"Does Walking Sam have a purpose for these malevolent acts? Some suggest he's merely looking for companionship, as he's been cursed to roam the Earth indefinitely. Or perhaps he has no reason, and simply wants to add to his collection. He's treated as a serious issue- the elders of the Sioux tribe brought Walking Sam up as a real possibility for why there were so many suicide attempts among their youth." 

Something dark was starting to crawl up Dahyun's spine, making her imagine things she'd never witnessed. A whisper of a black figure with long, emaciated limbs, gleaming white orbs in the trees. It was beginning to feel evil in here. 

"Whether a legend or not, the presence of Walking Sam is not something to disregard. _Something_ made itself known to all those witnesses, and _something_ is lurking here. If you're thinking of going for a walk in the woods alone, and you hear a sharp, cold whistle, head in the other direction." 

Dahyun slashed across her throat the way Mina always did, and was surprised to see Momo's hands trembling. 

"Is....is that true?" 

"Well, the wave of suicide attempts among the tribe is, yes. They did mention Walking Sam as a potential reason." said Dahyun. Momo and Jeongyeon looked at each other. 

"Um...I don't want to sound like a wimp, but I think I'm going back to the Suburban." Chaeyoung muttered, turning and almost power walking away. Dahyun hadn't seen her that unsettled since Montana. 

"Uh, yeah, I'm tired of walking." Momo chimed in, Jeongyeon following her with an apologetic look. 

"Are they okay?" Dahyun asked Sana, frowning. Sana shrugged. 

"Well, I can't say for sure, but I know what Jeongyeon and Momo look like when they're genuinely freaked out. And they were freaked out, even if they won't admit it." 

"Because of the legend?" 

"Partly, but also because of how you _told_ it, Dahyunnie." Sana told her, stepping forward and brushing Dahyun's hair away from her shoulders. "You were just like Mina, intimidating and scary and....engaging." 

"Really? I wasn't sure if it was that effective..." Dahyun trailed off. 

Sana giggled and nodded, drawing Dahyun against her. "Really. Your voice got all deep. Well, deep for you. And your face was all serious, and it was scary. I could almost feel the presence." She kissed Dahyun softly, who closed her eyes and relaxed into it. 

"You're hot when you're focused like that, Dahyunnie." Sana whispered against her lips, kissing her again. Dahyun let out a little whine when Sana traced her tongue along her lower lip, and pouted when Sana pulled away. 

_"Rude."_

Sana laughed again and kissed her forehead. "This isn't really the place, but we always have time later. Now, are you ready for lunch? We can call Mina and tell her how great you did." she suggested. 

_Look at you._

Dahyun froze. "Did you say that?"

"Say what?" Sana replied absently as she pulled her phone out. The hair rose on Dahyun's arms. 

"I..."

_How pathetic. What value do you have?_

"Dahyun? _Dahyun."_ Sana was shaking her shoulder, looking alarmed. "You just went super pale. Are you okay?" 

Dahyun swallowed, trying to calm down by grabbing Sana's hand. "I...I think this spot is getting to me. Let's go." 

She resisted the urge to look back as they walked away, listening hard for a sharp, cold whistle that never came. 

_**Clubhouse Hotel & Suites ** _

_**Pierre, South Dakota** _

_**2 PM CST** _

"Can you imagine when this race is won? Turn our golden faces into the sun-"

"Nayeon." 

"Praising our leaders, we're getting in tune, the music's played by the, the madman-"

"Nayeon." 

"FOREVER YOUNG, I WANT TO BE FOREVER YOUNG-" 

" _Nayeon!"_

Nayeon stopped belting, scowling down at Mina. " _Excuse me,_ I'm in my moment." 

Mina rubbed a hand across her face. "Can you be in your moment to a less annoying song?" 

Nayeon peered down at her. "You don't like this? And here I was beginning to think you had taste." she scoffed. 

Mina rolled her eyes, snatching her speaker and phone from Nayeon's hands. "I know what will shut you up." 

Nayeon settled on the bed as she picked her Uno cards back up. Mina had been a little pouty when the crew left, so Nayeon suggested they take the time to play some games and hang out, while Jihyo and Tzuyu were out shopping. 

"Ha! I got a plus four, and I'm not gonna hold back just because you're cute, babe..." Nayeon paused as she heard a familiar guitar riff sparkle, and drop into synths. 

"You like Everybody Wants To Rule The World now? I thought you said it was overrated." Nayeon asked curiously. Mina shrugged, trying to be nonchalant, but Nayeon could see the fondness shining in her gaze. 

"I gave it more of a chance because of you. And I have to say, those synths do grow on you." 

A rush of affection swept through Nayeon, and she laid her card down. "You're getting there, Minari, you're getting there." 

Mina was quiet as she pulled four cards from the deck. "You know, I was listening to it on the car ride to Tagus that night. Repeatedly. Momo didn't notice because she didn't know it had any meaning, but Jihyo did. She asked me if it was because of you." 

Nayeon grinned as she laid down another card. "Was it?" 

Mina glanced up at her, and a slight tinge of pink surfaced on her cheeks. "Yeah." she muttered, flinging down her own card. "Draw two." 

Nayeon complied, humming thoughtfully. "I listened to Wouldn't It Be Nice a ton after you told me about it. I didn't want to admit it, but, I dunno. I guess I wanted it to grow on me for you. Because you liked it so much." 

"Did it?" Mina asked. 

"Yeah..." 

Mina laughed and pushed the cards aside. 

"Hey! I was about to call Uno!" Nayeon protested. 

"I feel like cuddling, though." 

Nayeon threw her hand down. Far be it from her to deny Mina the simple pleasures in life. She was about to lay against the pillows when she noticed the distraction in Mina's expression. 

"What's up? You look all flustered." Nayeon asked, tapping one of Mina's cheeks. Mina hesitated, worrying at the hem of her blanket. 

"I've been considering something lately."

"Uh, okay. What?" 

"Well....I really like investigating. I like researching and writing notes and the whole process we do. I'm good at it. And I was thinking of maybe....going to school to become a professional researcher." Mina said softly. 

Nayeon blinked, a little thrown off. "Like, for ghosts?" 

"No." Mina snorted. "Just in general. I think I could do it. I've never enjoyed something so much. But....that's not what my parents would want." 

She sighed dejectedly, looking down at her hands. "They expect me to come to my senses and do something practical. Like medicine, or a lawyer....but I _want_ this." 

Nayeon was silent. The thought of Mina's parents- who she would eventually need to meet and at least be civil with- made her teeth clench together. If only they could see how involved and engaged Mina was out here. How she was absolutely excelling. Momo's documentary better be top notch...

"Come here, princess." Nayeon said quietly, patting her lap. Mina looked a little surprised, but pushed the blanket away and settled on Nayeon's lap comfortably, looping her arms around Nayeon's neck. Nayeon just looked at her for a moment, tracing a finger gently up and down Mina's back. 

"Listen. I've seen you in your element this entire trip. I said it before and I'll say it again, you are the best at what we do. Nobody is as passionate as you, and anyone who saw us would agree. I think you should absolutely go for it. Not just because it's what you're great at, but because it makes you happy. You deserve to be happy, sweetheart. Just as much as any of us, and certainly as much as your parents." Nayeon said. 

Mina stared down at her, expression frozen with shock. 

"What?" Nayeon questioned, starting to shift self consciously. 

Mina just shook her head, kissing Nayeon tenderly before resting her head on Nayeon's shoulder. "Stop making so much sense and being so great." Mina mumbled. 

Nayeon laughed, wrapping her arms around Mina's waist and gently pulling them back until they were resting against the pillows. "But that's what _I_ do best." 

Mina tightened her arms around Nayeon's shoulders. "Don't flatter yourself too much, Nayeon-ah." she replied. When Nayeon looked down to pout at her, Mina rolled her eyes, smiling, and kissed it away. "I'm still kind of sleepy, so nap time?" 

"Sure." Nayeon responded, closing her eyes and feeling her heart pound unevenly as she came to two realizations. 

She was absolutely addicted to Mina's kisses. 

She could fall in love with that smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've noticed in almost everything I've ever written about Minayeon, Mina ends up in Nayeon's lap. Nayeon's lap is Mina's safe space, we been knew 
> 
> I've been uploading twice a week on this for a while now, and I wish I could keep going with that schedule, but I'll probably have to cut back to once a week, or maybe even skip a week. I don't want to burn out on writing this, because I still enjoy the concept and I want to keep going, but life is kind of stressful right now lolololol. 
> 
> Thank you to all the readers who like this story and leave kudos, comments, whatever. I appreciate all of you


	12. That's Just The Way You Make Me Feel

**_Omaha Marriott_ **

**_Omaha, Nebraska_ **

**_11 AM CST_ **

"What do you mean, I can't go with you?" 

Nayeon winced at the subtly rising resentment in Mina's tone. They were seated in what was now just Jihyo's room, with Jihyo looking uncomfortable at the foot of the bed and Nayeon and Mina sitting together on the mattress. 

"It's doctor's orders, Minari...you have at least one more day before you're allowed to do any strenuous activity. And what we're doing would definitely count as strenuous." Jihyo explained. Nayeon was glad the responsibility for keeping Mina in line wasn't solely up to her, because that pout she was giving Jihyo would've broken her long ago. 

Mina huffed, glaring at the bedspread, fists tightly clenched around her Yoshi plush to the point of her knuckles going white. Nayeon silently pulled it away from her and offered her hand in replacement, which Mina took with a grumble, resting her head on Nayeon's shoulder. "I feel so useless right now. I can't even go on my own research trip." 

"It's for the sake of your health, sweetheart." Nayeon told her with a flash of sympathy, kissing the crown of her head. "It's only one more day. You'll be back in action and better than ever." 

"She's right." Jihyo put in, leaning over to pat Mina's knee. 

"I know, I know. I just feel really bored, having to stay in the hotels all day....it's such a waste." Mina mumbled, turning her face into Nayeon's neck and wrapping her arms around Nayeon's waist. Jihyo and Nayeon looked at each other helplessly. 

"You know..." said Jihyo slowly. "Sana and Dahyun aren't going on duty this time. Maybe it'd be good for you all to hang out together? You could ask them if they'd go somewhere with you, a little more lowkey than ghost hunting. I'm sure that wouldn't affect your back too much." 

Nayeon considered the idea. She did miss hanging out with Sana outside of ghost duty, and this was probably the best way to keep Mina's spirits up. She'd be going stir crazy if she was stuck in all the hotels too. "What do you think?" she asked Mina, who'd lifted her head at Jihyo's words. 

"Well, I'd like to, certainly....but do you think they would? Maybe they want some time alone on their off day." Mina said, a hint of worry in her gaze. 

"I can't think of anyone better to spend time with than us, so of course they would!" Nayeon said brightly. Jihyo rolled her eyes and climbed off the mattress. 

"They're in their room still, as far as I know, so you better go ask them. I need to go get the rest of the crew together, but I'll see you guys tonight. We can all have dinner together? In celebration of Mina finally getting better?" Jihyo suggested, looking warmly at Mina.

"That sounds good, Jihyo. Have fun out there."

Jihyo paused as she reached for her wallet, something darker flickering in her gaze for a moment. "There's a lot of words I would use to describe ghost duty....but sadly, fun is not one of them." 

...

"Sana! You're gonna miss the start of the movie!" Dahyun called, fidgeting impatiently on their bed as she tried not to hit play on _Monsters Inc._ Sana had mentioned wanting to have a movie marathon, and let Dahyun pick the theme of the movies, but of course when they could actually sit down and do it, Sana was taking her sweet time in the bathroom, doing God knows what. 

"I'm coming, Dahyunnie, I'm coming!" Sana finally darted out of the bathroom, settling on the bed beside her and opening her arms for Dahyun to snuggle in. "Sorry, I just noticed something on my face and then I kinda got caught up in looking at it, and noticing things I could fix..."

Dahyun frowned, hitting pause on the movie just as the opening credits began. 

"Hey!" Sana complained. Dahyun took Sana's face in her hands, fighting back a smile at the natural pout Sana's mouth formed. It had almost been a month, and she still felt like a stuttering, lovesick mess whenever she got to see Sana like this. 

"First of all, your face is perfect. There is absolutely nothing about it that needs to be improved." She squeezed Sana's cheeks for emphasis, who giggled as she reached a hand up to wrap around Dahyun's wrist, leaning her head into Dahyun's touch. 

"Second of all, you asked me for a marathon, and that involves at least 25 movies. I seriously doubt we'll get through all of them today, but I'm determined to try. So, no more moving for the rest of the day, unless it's for bathroom breaks or snacks. Clear?" 

"Crystal." Sana confirmed, leaning in to kiss Dahyun lightly. "Now, which one did you pick again?" 

" _Monsters Inc,_ babe. It's-" 

_Rap rap rap_

"Did you invite Momo over? I thought she was going on ghost duty!" Dahyun asked, hitting pause again and sighing as she untangled herself from Sana's grip. 

"No, I didn't! It's probably Jeongyeon wanting to borrow something." 

But when Dahyun opened the door, she found Nayeon and Mina on the other side. "Oh. Hey, guys." she said, a little surprised. "What's up?" 

"Are we interrupting?" Mina asked at the same time Nayeon said, "We've got something to talk to you about." 

Mina shot an exasperated look at Nayeon. "Babe, I thought I was gonna do the talking."

"Right, right, sorry. I just wanted to get into it right away." 

"Get into what?" Sana asked, who'd come up behind Dahyun and rested her chin on her shoulder, arms sliding around Dahyun's waist. Dahyun rubbed Sana's arm and gave the others a curious glance. 

"Well, I can't go out on ghost duty today, for the last time, and we were talking to Jihyo before she left, and she had an idea that-"

"Do you wanna go on a double date?" Nayeon blurted. Mina buried her face in her hands, muttering to herself. Dahyun looked back at Sana, who seemed just as surprised. 

"A double date with you guys? Where to?" Dahyun asked. On one hand, she did really want to have that marathon with Sana, since they hadn't had any real private time in a little while, but on the other....she'd always wanted to go on a double date. 

"Well, we were doing a bit of research," Mina began, slapping a hand over Nayeon's mouth when she tried to chime in, "and apparently this city has a nationally acclaimed zoo. The Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium. It's mainly just walking and observing, so it won't be too much for me, and I love animals..."

"What do you think, babe?" Dahyun asked Sana. Sana's eyes were lit up, and she was already starting to bounce on the balls of her feet in excitement. 

"That sounds great! I haven't been to a zoo in forever, and I'd love to go to another aquarium. If you don't mind, Dahyunnie?" Sana asked her, slowing in her movements and frowning a little. "I know you were looking forward to these movies." 

"I _told_ you they'd be busy. You never listen to me." Mina said to Nayeon. 

"Yes, dear." said Nayeon sarcastically. "You guys don't have to if you'd rather stay here."

"We can watch movies any time. How many more times will we be here?" Dahyun replied. "Just let us get dressed, and we'll meet you in the lobby in 15 minutes." 

"Sounds good." Mina said, giving them a warm smile. "Don't rush, we're in no hurry." 

"But we'll leave you here if you aren't downstairs by the time the Uber shows up." Nayeon added. "Ow!" she protested as Mina grabbed her wrist and dragged her down the hall. 

Dahyun shut the door behind them and looked over at Sana, who was already searching through her suitcase. "Are we sure those two actually like each other?" 

"I know whipped when I see it." Sana replied, pulling a shirt out. "It might not seem that way from our perspective, but Mina's got Nayeon wrapped around her little finger." 

"How can you be so sure?" Dahyun asked. Sana flashed her one of those stunning smiles and kissed her cheek. 

"You've got me wrapped around yours. I recognize others of my kind." 

Dahyun blushed. 

**_Otoe County_ **

**_Nebraska City, Nebraska_ **

**_3 PM CST_ **

"Ready for your big debuting moment, Jihyo?" Jeongyeon asked, fiddling with the camcorder as they stepped out into the gravel of the road. Mina's notes had taken them to an obscure spot of rolling hills, thick green trees, and a rather dusty tinge in the air. 

"Ready as I'll ever be." Jihyo replied, looking through Mina's notes a final time and trying to combat her nerves. This was the last recording they'd be doing without Mina, and Jihyo wanted to do right by her. "Just wish it was in a bit of a more glamorous spot, I'll admit."

Jeongyeon chuckled as she looked over at the rest of the crew, who were debating something loudly at the side of the road. "I get what you mean. This road isn't even paved. The things we do in the name of research, huh?" 

Jihyo pulled her hair up, going through what she was to say in her head before clapping. "Okay, everyone, I'm ready. Are you all prepared?" 

"Let's do it." said Chaeyoung, breaking away from the others and turning on her camera. "You wanna do backup for me, Tzuyu-ah?"

Tzuyu nodded, taking a sound recorder from Chaeyoung. She'd certainly been less condescending since they'd left North Dakota, much like Jeongyeon. Privately, despite all the unexplained and horrifying things that had occurred so far, Jihyo thought this trip was doing more for Jeongyeon and Tzuyu than they would let on. 

"We're just gonna start out walking down here, getting footage as I go through the background story, and later on, we'll go to some specific spots and see if we can catch anything." Jihyo ordered. Tzuyu and Chaeyoung exchanged glances. 

"You're jumping in headfirst, huh, Jihyo-ah? If I get hit by another ghost car or have a tree fall on top of me, I'm haunting your ass forever." Jeongyeon pointed at her with a stern finger. Jihyo rolled her eyes and turned to Momo. 

"Ready?" 

"Rolling." Momo answered from behind the camera. 

3...

2...

1...

"When one thinks of haunted roads, what is the first horror that comes to mind? Usually the ghost of a hitchhiker, or maybe a phantom car, or even a murderer lying in wait? For the Seven Sisters Road in Otoe County, Nebraska, the legend involves none of those things. Instead, the tale is equal parts tragic and disturbing, much like most of the other backstories we've explored."

Jihyo began walking backwards as the crew followed her, hoping against all hope that they wouldn't let her fall in a pothole. 

"In typical urban legend fashion, the exact details have been lost to history. Some accounts differ from others, but it generally goes like this: in the early 1900s, there was a family with seven daughters and one son. The son had an argument with his family of some degree, and it caused the unstable man to be pushed over the edge. He waited for his parents to leave, and lured his sisters one by one out to the hills surrounding their home."

Jihyo pointed at the extending land around them. "He led them to the top of the hills, and hung them until all of his sisters were dead. There are no accounts of what happened to their bodies, or the man, but the trees in question were chopped down for allowance of the road." 

Momo glanced down at the dirt and back up uneasily. 

"Ever since then, this area has become a hotspot for paranormal experiences. Screams have been reported countless times over at night. Cars are affected abnormally, headlights turning off for no reason, speedometers freezing up, and windows rolling down of their own accord. Others report seeing figures dart in the darkness, or glowing eyes that seem to follow them across the road." 

Jihyo hesitated as she looked up at the twisted looking trees, suddenly starting to feel trapped. Dahyun had mentioned to her the odd mix of exhilaration and fear that she got when doing her own recording, but it really wasn't able to be put into words. She felt simultaneously powerful and like she was challenging something she had no business messing with. 

"The legend has been around since at least 1968, but there's no shortage of eerie sightings here, to this day. It begs the question: if over 51 years later the accounts are still being reported, is it truly just boredom? Or is something- _someone-_ confined here? Forced to endure the last moments of their life again and again, screaming for help but unable to be found?" 

Jihyo realized she'd stopped walking, and the crew was staring at her with strained expressions. "Uh...you can cut off." she mumbled, suppressing a shiver at the thought of hearing those screams... _dying,_ terrified screams of what might be ghosts. She didn't know if she could handle it, even for Mina. 

"You did good." said Tzuyu softly, coming up to her and resting a light hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" 

"Um....yeah. I just need a....." Jihyo trailed off, images flickering through her mind at a dizzying rate, images she shouldn't even be able to think of. A wild-eyed, snarling man, stringing up desperate young women against the trees, the tightening of the nooses around their throats, the vile look in his expression as the life drained from their bodies...

" _Jihyo."_ Tzuyu was gripping her by the shoulders. "Look at me. This is not the 1900s, okay? This is the 21st century, and you're here with us. There are no bodies in those trees." 

Jihyo swallowed, meeting her calm, intense gaze and holding fast to its influence. "You're right. I'm sorry. I just got caught up in..."

"It's okay." said Tzuyu, glancing over at where the others were gathered, comparing footage. "It's pretty easy to get lost in the darkness of what we're researching. But, you gotta remember, whether it's real or not, you have a life outside of it. With all of us." 

Maybe they'd scorned the entire first half of this trip, but Jihyo had never been more grateful to have the resident skeptics along for this messed up ride. 

**_Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium _ **

**_Omaha, Nebraska_ **

**_3:15 PM CST_ **

"Know how I know you're whipped?" Nayeon asked Sana, leaning on a railing and watching as Mina and Dahyun squealed excitedly at the sight of the bats circling around the stalactites above them. 

"How?" Sana replied, voice distracted as she kept looking at Dahyun and Mina rambling together at top speed while reading the bat plaques. 

"We've been here almost two hours and you haven't said no to Dahyun once about anything. You even bought her that $5 popcorn. You know how much popcorn we could get at the store for the same amount that tiny ass box was?" 

Sana snorted. "You want to talk whipped? At least I can resist Dahyun's pouting." 

" _Excuse_ me, I am _not_ whipped." 

"Nayeon-ah!" Mina shouted- actually shouted, to the alarm of the other people around them- and bounded over to them. "Can we go to the aquarium? Dahyun says they have a shark reef, and sea turtles, and a whole penguin exhibit!" 

Nayeon hesitated, deliberately not looking at Sana as Mina wrapped her arms around her neck and looked hopefully up into her face. Most of this trip had been Dahyun and Mina dragging them to different places, spending way too long in that humid ass butterfly exhibit, Dahyun nearly losing her shit at the Cat Complex and taking 300 pictures of the tigers to send Chaeyoung and Tzuyu, and the two of them somehow wheedling way too much money out of Nayeon and Sana for the ridiculously overpriced snacks. But did Nayeon mind? She hadn't seen Mina smile this much since Colorado. 

"Yeah, of course. Are you done here?" 

"Yep! Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Nayeon laced their fingers together and stuck out her tongue at Sana, who was smirking widely over Dahyun's head. 

As they exited the Kingdoms of the Night and headed for the aquarium, Nayeon relished the moment immensely. She was content to spend time with Mina anywhere, but being out here in the sunlight, with their friends, and not having to worry about being possessed or run over or attacked by a demon, this was definitely preferable. 

"Wow, that shark is massive." Dahyun said wonderingly as they entered the cool entrance of the aquarium, the black walls bathed in cerulean and green lights from the surrounding tanks. There was indeed a large great white shark statue looming over the front doors, and little fish darting in and out of the rocks in their tanks. Nayeon was content to let the others take lead, Sana and Dahyun wandering around holding hands as they examined the tanks, and Mina smiling softly as she looked at the stingrays. 

"How are you feeling?" Nayeon asked quietly, rubbing her back ever so gently. Mina hummed in contentment, leaning against her hand. 

"I'm okay, babe. I'll tell you if I need a rest. Promise." 

Nayeon frowned. "Are you sure? I know you-"

Mina leaned up and kissed her, slow and languid. "I promise. Now, don't you want to see the penguins?" she asked, taking Nayeon's hand and tugging her towards the hall. 

Sana mouthed _Whipped_ across the room. 

Nayeon scowled at her, but internally, she didn't mind it so much. There were worse labels to have. 

Mina let out a gasp as they entered the next room. "Nayeon-ah! Nayeon-ah, look at all the penguins!" 

The sight was indeed pretty cute: the entire front of the room dedicated to a large glass exhibit, with a pool of water at the bottom and replicated rocks that resembled an iceberg at the top, and several penguins milling about, frolicking in the water, and observing the people curiously. 

"It's really cool, Minari." Nayeon agreed, smiling as Mina stepped up to the glass with an awed expression, watching as the penguins dove into the water and twirled around. "Dahyun-ah! Come here!" 

"Coming!" Dahyun called, letting go of Sana's hand. Nayeon looked over at Sana, who was examining a line of different penguin statues and their heights on the wall. 

"You've just been letting her drag you around, haven't you?" Nayeon asked. Sana looked up from the emperor penguin. 

"And if I am?" 

"You want to talk whipped? You look like a lovesick puppy right now." 

Sana rolled her eyes. "Why did I want to go out with you again?" 

"Because Dahyunnie asked you, and Dahyunnie's word is law." Nayeon said sweetly. Mina and Dahyun had had their fill of the penguins, and were walking back over with stars in their eyes. 

"Shark reef next." Dahyun ordered, grabbing Sana's hand again. Sana trailed after her with that usual look of sickly sweet affection. 

"This place is so cool. I wish we didn't have to leave." Mina said, a little wistful as they followed. 

"Well, we'll be here through tomorrow. We can come back, if you want." Nayeon suggested, wrapping an arm around her shoulders when Mina shivered. 

"I might just want to spend all day in that room." Mina warned, pointing back at the penguin exhibit. 

"I can deal." 

Dahyun wasn't exaggerating the effects of the shark reef: it towered over their heads with a soft navy and aquamarine glow, various sharks drifting through the water, stingrays swimming over the glass above and around them, and even sea turtles weaving in and out between the silver fish. 

" _Wow."_ said Mina softly as she stared up at the shark making its way over the top of the tunnel. The water was reflecting off of her face, giving her a soft green- and-blue shadowing that Nayeon couldn't help thinking made her look almost ethereal. "This is incredible." 

"Isn't it?" said Dahyun, tucking her head into Sana's shoulder and examining a sea turtle. "The aquarium in Boise wasn't nearly as cool as this."

"I liked that one." Sana disagreed, trailing her fingers over Dahyun's shoulder. Dahyun glanced up at her. 

"Really? It was kind of dull, compared to all of this."

"Maybe. But you were there." Sana replied. Dahyun flushed and grinned, pressing a small kiss to Sana's cheek before wandering further down the reef. Nayeon snorted, loud enough for Sana to frown at her, and mouthed back, _Whipped._

Mina distracted her by slipping their fingers together, continuing down the tunnel until they reached the exit, a room storing the aquarium's jellyfish. The tanks were cylindrical, the water having a strange violet glow, and the movement of the jellyfish and their feelers was almost hypnotic. Nayeon rested her chin on Mina's shoulder and slipped her arms around her waist as she examined the tanks. 

"We definitely have to come back now. The others would love this." Mina said softly. "And they deserve a little break....especially Momo and Chaeyoung, after all they've done for me." She trailed off, a tinge of regret in her voice. Nayeon squeezed her gently. They needed to leave that despondence back at the hotel. 

"I'm sure they'd enjoy it. We can ask when we get back. But for now....can we just focus on you and me?" Nayeon asked, nuzzling Mina's neck. Mina hummed in acknowledgment, turning Nayeon's face to the side to kiss her before looking back at the jellyfish. 

"Absolutely." 

They stood for a few moments, basking in the silence and the contentment of it all, before Nayeon heard someone clear their throat. 

"You guys ready to move on? Dahyunnie wants to check out the gift shop and buy something for Chaeyoung and Tzuyu." 

Nayeon groaned dramatically as she pulled back, but Mina put a finger over her lips. "I'd like to look too, if you don't mind, babe." 

"Ah....yeah, sure. Whatever you want, Minari." Mina beamed at her before turning to catch up with Dahyun, discussing the jellyfish in serious tones. Nayeon hung back with Sana. 

" _Whatever you want, Minari."_ Sana mocked. Nayeon smacked her shoulder. 

"If I had a dollar for every time you said _Dahyunnie_ and gave her whatever she wanted, I could cover the costs of the rest of this trip."

The aquarium gift shop was a blur of icy white, grey, and navy blues, much like the Arctic itself. Nayeon wasn't interested in any shirts with polar bears on them or plastic tubes full of starfish, so she leaned against a back wall and watched Mina and Dahyun go through the stock. 

"You know, you're probably right." Sana said quietly, her tone unusually serious. Nayeon glanced over at her. 

"About what?"

"I am whipped. But I guess that's what happens when you're falling in love."

Nayeon blinked. Sana didn't usually talk to her about this kind of thing, although her feelings for Dahyun were extremely transparent. "You're in love with her?"

Sana leaned her head against the wall, never taking her eyes off of Dahyun. "I think I will be, pretty soon." she said quietly. 

In love....what did that even entail? Complete trust? Desire? Intense affection? Consuming feelings? Nayeon had never been in love before, and was a little terrified of going that far. It required so much trust, so much faith in the other person. And was she really ready to let go of her control like that? 

Mina came up to her, clutching a penguin plush almost half her size and her expression pleading. "Nayeon-ah, I want this....can you get it for me? He's so cute. I think he'd be great for snuggling. Right after you, of course." She gave her one of those smiles that scrunched her eyes. 

"I...."

Mina's lower lip jutted out in a tiny pout. 

"Yeah. Of course, princess." Nayeon avoided Sana's gaze, instead beaming when Mina hopped a little in excitement and kissed her firmly, right in the middle of the gift shop. Her smile only widened when she passed Dahyun on the way to the counter to pay, noticing that she was clutching no less than three plushes, and knowing Sana was definitely going to be paying for them. 

If it was for Myoui Mina, Nayeon had a feeling that letting all her walls come down could be nothing but beneficial. 

And okay, maybe she was whipped too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not Mina being the richest person on this trip and still getting Nayeon to buy her whatever she wants. Sorry, Nayeon, but I think you definitely won the whipped contest 
> 
> A heads up for the near future: I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and I've decided to take a break from this fic. I already have the rest of the states and their legends outlined, and I know the way I want to end it. But, to be honest, I really didn't expect it to blow up the way it has. I mean, over 3k hits and counting is insane for someone who didn't share their writing most of their life. I love how much people love this story. So again, I thank everyone who has read it or will read it in the future. But, I'd be doing this story a disservice if I kept writing it in the headspace I'm in now. 
> 
> I'll probably still be active, writing oneshots and whatever other random ideas I get. I've worked too hard on this fic to just give up on it. Next stop is Iowa, so see you there when I return to this :)


	13. Guess Who's Back, Back Again

**_E 2nd St_ **

**_Villisca, Iowa_ **

**_1:15 PM CST_ **

_"Hey, hey, hey, ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember? Ba-dee-ya, dancing in September, ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day-"_

"Momo, please!" Chaeyoung shouted, kicking the back of Momo's seat. "That's the fifth time you've played this song since we started driving." 

Momo frowned as she looked at Chaeyoung in the rearview mirror. "It's a happy song, Chaeng. And we're supposed to be happy, we're celebrating! Mina's back!" 

"Yes, we all know, and we're very pleased, but can you play _anything_ else? It's not even September, it's the middle of summer." Chaeyoung complained. Nayeon watched in amusement as Momo huffed. No one was more excited than Mina was that she was finally healed enough to join them on their latest expedition, but it had really done something for the crew when they had learned she was coming along. Momo hadn't stopped smiling since they'd left the hotel, and Chaeyoung was brimming with a sense of energy Nayeon hadn't seen in her for ages, and Sana was chatting nonstop to no one in particular about what they might encounter this time around. 

Nayeon glanced over at Mina, who wasn't paying any attention to Momo and Chaeyoung's banter as she scrolled through her phone. Her left hand was still twined with Nayeon's right, the casualness of it making Nayeon's heart flutter. She liked taking care of Mina, no question about it, but getting to see her back in action for the first time was something Nayeon had been looking forward to all week. It just wasn't the same without her eerily captivating voice narrating for them. 

"You ready for this, sweetheart?" Nayeon asked quietly, rubbing her thumb over Mina's hand. Mina looked up from her phone, smiling a little and rolling her eyes. 

"Nayeon-ah, you did already ask me that before we left. And as soon as we got in the car. And once more while driving. I'm ready as I'll ever be. Although I'll admit, it makes it a lot better that the first time back is with you." She pecked the back of Nayeon's hand and rested her head against the car seat, looking thoughtful. 

"This is also one of the spots I was looking forward to the most, because it's not just a legend, it's a mystery too." Mina mused. 

"Yeah, I've gotta admit, when you told us we were going to a spot called the Axe Murder House, I was a little worried." Momo chimed in. "But hey, it's gonna be a gold mine for the documentary. Plus, I get to rub it in Jeongyeon's face that I survived it and she didn't, so that's fun too."

"They're editing footage for us, don't be petty, Momoring." Sana said. Momo stuck her tongue out at Sana, but didn't have opportunity to say anything else as Jihyo let out a low whistle, turning onto a perfectly pleasant looking street and parking at the curb. 

"This is it, huh?" Chaeyoung asked, eyeing the white house looming above them. It didn't _seem_ like a murder house from the outside, Nayeon thought as the crew clambered out of the Suburban, gathering their equipment. It had a nice little covered porch, windows with dull red frames, and plain white drapes drawn over the glass. It would almost appear like a regular family home if not for the black and white sign labeled: VILLISCA AXE MURDER HOUSE (JUNE 10, 1912) planted outside of the porch. 

Mina stepped ahead of them, tilting her head back to look up at the windows, and then turned to face the crew. Her expression was already settled back into that carefully controlled blankness she wore for business. Nayeon laughed under her breath at how something she'd found so annoying once was almost endearing now. 

"Okay, everyone, I asked ahead of time, and the people who run this place don't mind if we film in here. But there might be other people taking a tour as we explore, so just don't acknowledge them. Stay focused on me, and get shots of the house without them in it, if you can. Everyone clear?" 

The crew all clamored with agreement, and Mina clapped her hands together. "Okay, we can start out here for the background information. Are we ready?" 

Momo nodded, looking around from her viewfinder. 

"Count down for me, Chaeyoung." Mina instructed, and stepped back to stand against the sign as Chaeyoung obliged.

3....

2....

1....

"Here we are in the Midwest, in the charming little town of Villisca, Iowa. At first glance, this area might seem perfectly ordinary and open. But lurking in Villisca's history is a tragic and brutal mass murder, that took place at this very house." Mina pointed up at the house. Already, its normalcy was beginning to wear on Nayeon's nerves, the aura beginning to set off something in her veins and make her uneasy. 

"Between the evening of June 9 and June 10, 1912, Josiah and Sara Moore, their four children, and two visiting guests were murdered. Bludgeoned to death with an axe, found in the room where the house guests were staying. No murderer was ever caught, no villain ever brought to justice. This sadly is almost entirely because of the time period at which the murders took place. 1912 didn't have accurate DNA testing, and fingerprinting was a relatively new practice. Maybe it is because of this reason as to why the house still seems to linger with spirits, with touring guests reporting things like moving furniture, slamming doors, and flying objects." 

Nayeon swallowed, exchanging glances with Sana as they spread out in their usual arc around Mina. She couldn't tell what Mina was thinking, and that familiar look of calm professionalism was locked in place. This place already sounded creepy enough without the paranormal shit. Maybe they should just let the spirits get on with their business...

"There's only so much that can be told from outside of the house, however." Mina continued, and began advancing towards the porch. "For a further analysis and to examine the details of the case, we must go inside." 

"Whew boy." Chaeyoung whispered as they followed Mina up the stairs. 

Nayeon thought that about summed it up. 

**_Des Lux Hotel_ **

**_Des Moines, Iowa_ **

**_1:30 PM CST_ **

Dahyun arched her back in an appreciative groan as she rubbed her eyes, turning away from the computer. She didn't mind staying behind to edit in the slightest, as it gave her a sense of comfort and regularity, but she did miss Sana. And she had to admit she was curious about that Murder House Momo had said they were going to. But oh well. 

"How are you guys doing?" she asked Jeongyeon and Tzuyu, who were hunched over Nayeon's laptop. Jeongyeon gave her a dead-eyed look, flopping back onto the bed and letting out her own groan. 

"My eyes hurt like _hell._ You really do this for enjoyment back home?" Jeongyeon complained. Dahyun laughed, standing up and stretching her arms over her head. 

"I mean, I do want to do this for a living some day. Plus, it helps to get up and move around, you know." 

Tzuyu pushed the laptop away, getting up herself and reaching for the bottle of water she'd set on the dresser. "I say it's break time. We've gotten up to North Dakota, I think we can reward ourselves with a little rest."

Jeongyeon grunted in agreement from where she still lay on the bed, her arm thrown over her eyes. Dahyun leaned back against the dresser, mind beginning to wander as it had been for quite some time lately. Chaeyoung was constantly poking her and complaining that Dahyun never paid attention to her anymore. It wasn't intentional, it really wasn't. It was just that, well...

Her and Sana's one month anniversary had just passed, and every day, Dahyun felt like she found something new about Sana to adore. Maybe she was a messy eater, and maybe Dahyun rolled her eyes at the way Sana needed at least five good night kisses before they went to sleep, and maybe she took a little too much pleasure in teasing Tzuyu. But there were so many moments where Sana would just stare at her like Dahyun was too exquisite for this world, or would slip out of bed extra early to grab Dahyun breakfast, and the way she made sure that they always had at least one date in each state they traveled to. 

And, well, she'd always felt warm and fluttery and amazing around Sana, even more so when they'd had their first kiss, but lately it was just different. Something more extensive...

"You okay, Dahyun?" Tzuyu asked. Dahyun blinked, coming back to reality, where Tzuyu was watching her with a concerned look, water bottle halfway to her mouth. 

"You looked super far away." Tzuyu said, taking another drink. "Something wrong?" 

Dahyun hesitated. If it had been just her and Tzuyu, she wouldn't have paused, but Jeongyeon was here and well....she didn't wanna be made fun of for gushing about Sana. But she needed to talk to _someone._

"Can I ask you guys something?" Dahyun asked, perching on the edge of the desk chair. Tzuyu nodded, and Jeongyeon grumbled, "As long as it doesn't have anything to do with editing. We're on a break." 

"No, it's nothing to do with that. It's...it's about, um..."

Jeongyeon opened her eyes, propping herself up on an elbow as Dahyun trailed off again, wringing her hands together nervously. "Now I'm curious. Spill, Dahyun-ah!" Jeongyeon implored, resting her chin on her knees and eyes bright. Tzuyu gave her an encouraging nod. 

"It's just- I'm- have either of you ever been in love?" Dahyun blurted. Tzuyu and Jeongyeon looked at each other, startled. 

"Um....I dunno, maybe once?" Jeongyeon shrugged, twisting her finger around a loose thread in the sheet. Tzuyu shook her head slowly. 

"Why do you ask?" 

Jeongyeon grinned, elbowing Tzuyu in the side as Dahyun blushed, avoiding their eyes. "Isn't it obvious? She and Sana are getting pretty serious. She's never felt like this before, Tzuyu-ah! Oh, you two are so sweet it's giving me diabetes. But no, seriously, that's why you're asking, right?" Jeongyeon prompted. 

Dahyun nodded slightly. Her feelings about Sana were something she still wasn't used to sharing or examining out loud, much less with other people. But if she hadn't, she and Sana might have never gotten together. So it couldn't hurt to ask... 

"I just...we just celebrated a month, and I know it's not that much, but I liked her for so long even before we started dating. And she's so sweet, and warm, and I really, really care about her. But do you think it's too soon? Should I even tell her? I don't want to seem clingy..." 

Some of Dahyun's old insecurity was beginning to resurface, and her heart sank at the thought of Sana looking uncomfortable at Dahyun spilling her feelings, or laughing it off. 

Tzuyu and Jeongyeon looked at each other again, but this time with exasperation. "What?" Dahyun questioned. Jeongyeon just snorted and flopped back on the bed.

"Dahyun-ah," Tzuyu told her firmly, leaning forward to pat her knee. "You are the most oblivious person I know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dahyun asked indignantly. 

"Sana is literally intolerable when y'all aren't together." Jeongyeon said, her arm back over her eyes. "She never stops talking about her precious Dahyunnie, about your date nights and how cute you are, how nervous she still gets when you kiss. It takes her forever to shut up." 

"Okay...what are you saying?" 

Tzuyu sighed heavily. "We can't spell everything out for you, Dahyun-ah. Some things you'll need to learn on your own." She patted Dahyun's knee again and pulled Nayeon's laptop back towards her, poking Jeongyeon in the side until she groaned and sat back up. 

Dahyun frowned, mulling over the implications in her mind. 

Was Sana-? 

Did they mean-? 

Nah. Not possible. It was way too soon for that. 

Wasn't it? 

_**Villisca Axe Murder House** _

_**Villisca, Iowa** _

_**1:40 PM CST** _

The atmosphere in here was so damn thick. 

Nayeon fought the urge to sneeze as they stepped inside the house. It wasn't really dusty, or cramped, or indicative of anything dark, but something about the old fashioned structure, the worn brown floorboards, the ragged white curtains drawn over most of the windows made the hair on her arms prickle. She could tell the others felt it too, glancing around uneasily at the faded paintings on the walls. 

"Such a picturesque little home the Moores had." Mina was saying, walking carefully around the living room and gesturing at the worn brown piano pushed up against a wall. "They were a well liked family, wealthy but humble members of the community. Josiah Moore worked at the Jones Store, employed by one Mr. Frank Jones, for nine years. On the eve of their deaths, Katherine Moore, one of the Moores' daughters, invited her friends Lena and Ina Stillinger to spend the night at their house after an eventful day. The Moore family and their guests came home sometime between 9:45 and 10 PM." 

Nayeon shivered as the crew carefully followed Mina out of the main room, the floorboards squeaking under their shoes as they began to creep upstairs. The pressure emitting from the house was beginning to affect her more than she would've thought, and they'd only been here for a little while. Her arm brushed against Chaeyoung's, and Chaeyoung nearly jumped out of her skin before looking embarrassed. 

"It is not clear exactly when the murders took place, but based on the testimony of their neighbor, it's believed that the murderer slipped into the house between midnight and 5 AM." 

Mina paused as they reached the upper level, taking in the narrow hall and cracked doors along the sides. Momo wrinkled her nose, stepping away from the windows and zooming in carefully. Jihyo was looking around uneasily, and leaned over to whisper in Nayeon's ear. "This place gives me the fucking creeps." 

Nayeon was inclined to agree, but Mina was speaking again. "Here are the facts of the case, from the official investigation: The time of death for all the victims was shortly after midnight. The curtains were drawn on all of the windows, except for two, which were instead covered with clothing belonging to the family. All of the victims' faces were covered with bedclothes after they died. The murder weapon was found in the Stillingers' room, having been attempted to be wiped clean. The doors were all locked. A pan of bloody water was on the kitchen table, and a piece of keychain was found in the downstairs bedroom." 

Mina pushed open one of the doors, revealing a bedroom with pale blue walls, a couple of colorful rugs strewn over the floor, and a bed with an old fashioned bed frame to the left of the doorway. It was covered with a raggedy, dirty white blanket and a Raggedy Ann doll, propped up against one of the pillows. Nayeon exchanged looks with Sana as they entered. Momo seemed just as focused as Mina, zooming in on the doll before walking around the edges of the room. 

"Tragically, if this investigation had been managed a little better, it would've been easy to bring the murderer to justice. There was enough forensic evidence to examine, although the methods would've been much different. There were several potential suspects, including Josiah Moore's boss, Frank Jones, who was furious with Josiah for leaving his employment and possibly having an affair with his daughter-in-law." 

Nayeon glanced at the bed again. The doll seemed to be watching her wherever she moved, its black eyes and frozen smile creepy as fuck. Things like this had never bothered her before, but...they were standing in a murder site! 

"Perhaps it is because of this injustice that the house has never seemed to settle." Mina went on, gesturing around the room. "Guests have reported feeling strange presences, seeing falling lamps or moving furniture, and hearing voices. This could be written off as just paranoia or imagination, but one guest stabbed himself in the chest while visiting in November 2014, for no apparent reason, and needed to be hospitalized." 

Nayeon swallowed uncomfortably, looking at the bed again. Had the doll....moved? It seemed like it'd shifted to the right. 

"Many suggest that this was the influence of the restless, angry spirits lingering on the residence." Mina continued, waving them out of the room and towards the stairs. The crew was deathly silent, and Nayeon couldn't help glancing at the doll again. Its smile looked even wider, if that was possible. No, it wasn't fucking possible. 

"It's tragic to think about, that if only the investigation were managed a little better, and the crime scene secured, the murderer could've been brought to justice. But instead, there were only fruitless accusations, rounding up several suspects and trying one twice, but nothing ever came of it." Mina sighed, looking at the sunlight pooling on the floorboards of the living room as if truly disappointed. "Instead, all we have is the remainders of this house, and the alleged spirits of the Moore family and their unlucky guests, waiting for someone to bring them the truth." 

Mina slashed across her neck, and looked around in puzzlement when not one of the crew spoke up. "You guys okay?" she questioned. 

"This isn't like the others." Chaeyoung muttered, lowering her camera and running a shaking hand through her hair. "This really happened, and that poor family..." 

Sana shook her head wordlessly, crossing to the front door. "I need some air." she mumbled. Mina looked a little crestfallen as Jihyo and Chaeyoung followed her. 

"Did I do okay?" she asked Nayeon worriedly. "I was really excited about this one because I found it so interesting. Unsolved mystery and all that....but maybe not." 

Nayeon wrapped an arm around her shoulders, kissing Mina's temple and leaning her head against hers. "You did perfect, babe. Too perfect, that's why they got freaked out. You're a natural at this, you know that." 

Mina rested her head on Nayeon's shoulder, taking her hand. "You're just saying that so I'll give you cuddles tonight." she murmured, placing a small kiss on Nayeon's neck. 

"I don't make up things for fun, you know!" Nayeon complained as they followed Momo out of the house, blinking against the sunlight. "But you were going to give me cuddles anyway." 

Mina snorted and pushed away from her, catching up to Momo as Nayeon laughed. She really had meant what she said about Mina's narration, but now she was afraid to look back up at the house, just in case that doll was watching them in the window. 

_**Des Lux Hotel** _

_**Des Moines, Iowa** _

_**5 PM CST** _

"I propose a toast!" Jihyo announced out of nowhere at the table they were seated at. When they'd come back to the hotel, Jeongyeon had suggested they all have dinner together in the lobby so they could spend some group time together, and everyone had agreed. Their dynamic was finally back on track, no longer conflicted and heated the way it had been for the last several states.

"A toast for what?" Sana asked, feeding Dahyun another bite of cake. 

"A toast to Mina, our best investigator." Jihyo said proudly, looking across the table at Mina. Mina blushed from beside Nayeon, turning her face into Nayeon's shoulder when everyone raised their glasses. Nayeon grinned and poked her in the side until she raised her head again. 

"Here's to you, Mina, for healing like a champ from that horrific accident, and doing your very best on our trip today. No one does it quite like you. You're our pro." Jihyo said, a wide smile spreading across her face. Everyone clinked their glasses together.

"To Mina!"

"You guys are too much." Mina mumbled, waving them off in embarrassment. But Nayeon could see the pleasure lurking in her eyes, and a little bit of relief too, relief that she hadn't let the group down. Nayeon was more than proud of her. She settled back against her chair, closing her eyes in contentment as the others continued to talk. She was purely happy right now. It felt a little odd to say, but she really was. 

Mina's chair screeched as she pushed it back from the table, and Nayeon's slid open as she stood up. "Where are you going?" Nayeon asked, yawning. She was more than full right now, and if she had the energy to, she'd get Mina to go back to their room and cuddle, but moving wasn't an option right now. 

"I need some air." Mina told her quietly, running her fingers through Nayeon's hair. "Don't worry, though." 

Nayeon shifted, already a little worried, but Mina seemed fine. "Okay. Have fun out there." 

Mina leaned down to peck her lips before walking away, and Nayeon let her thoughts drift into a comfortable blankness. Jihyo was discussing something with Momo and Jeongyeon heatedly, and Sana was still feeding Dahyun, squealing every time Dahyun's cheeks puffed out and kissing them, and Chaeyoung and Tzuyu were watching some video on Tzuyu's phone, Chaeyoung's head against Tzuyu's shoulder. Nayeon almost wished she had a camera now, as this was the kind of moment she wanted to capture and preserve forever. But maybe it wasn't meant to be kept in a single photograph, maybe it was just something for them to experience. 

The minutes ticked by, and eventually Nayeon's position grew uncomfortable. She was tired, and sleepy, and wanted Mina's softness and warmth to lie on. "I'm out of here. I'll see y'all later." Nayeon announced, rising from her chair with a groan and cracking her neck. Most of them didn't even look up, and Jihyo just gave her a distracted wave. 

Great friends. 

Nayeon wandered past the front doors, intending to go back to the room and collapse on the comfortable pillows, but she paused, looking out at the front of the hotel. She swiveled on her heel and pushed the glass doors open, listening hard on instinct. She smiled when she heard it. 

_"In a West End town, a dead end world, the East End boys and West End girls..."_

Nayeon followed the sound of the music until she found its source: Mina's phone, propped up on a table as Mina leaned back in a chair, staring off into space. 

"This scene looks familiar." Nayeon said cheerfully as she came up behind Mina, resting her chin on top of Mina's head and wrapping her arms around Mina's shoulders. Mina reached up to rub her arm. 

"Yeah, except this time I'm not waiting for you to get the hell away from me." 

Nayeon chuckled, kissing Mina's hair and staying quiet for a moment. "I didn't know you liked Pet Shop Boys." 

"This is my thinking song. Well, one of them, anyway." Mina replied. "I needed the setting." 

"What are you thinking about?" Nayeon asked. 

Mina was silent for a few heartbeats. "I was thinking about calling my parents and telling them about how I want to be a researcher." she eventually said. 

Nayeon shifted in surprise. As far as she was aware, Mina hadn't spoken to her parents in over a week, and had begun to wonder if she would even contact them for the rest of the trip. "Really?" 

"I'm going to have to tell them at some point." Mina said, trailing her fingers along Nayeon's arm absently. "And we're getting closer to the end of the trip here....if they're disappointed, they're disappointed. But still."

Nayeon reminded herself that she wasn't to get involved in Mina's issues with her parents. It was for them to sort out, and Nayeon really hoped they did. But that same familiar prick of frustration was settling under her skin. How could they not be supportive of Mina? How could they not see how amazing she was at what she did? Well, they were going to see it when this trip was over. Nayeon would make sure of that. 

"I'm proud of you." Nayeon murmured, leaning to the side to kiss Mina's neck. Mina squirmed a little and she laughed. 

"For what?"

"For this, but also for taking charge today. For being so damn good at what you do and showing the rest of us how to do it. I'm just proud of you as a whole, sweetheart." Nayeon replied. Mina was quiet, and then pushed away from Nayeon, who whined at the loss of contact. 

"Mina-"

She was cut off as Mina grabbed the front of her shirt and kissed her, which was definitely preferable. It went on for a bit longer than Nayeon was expecting, and she was breathless when Mina finally let her go, eyes shining. 

"I can't wait to tell them about you too." Mina said, Nayeon's favorite smile erupting across her face. Nayeon flushed, but the pleasure spreading throughout her system was welcome. She'd never really had this many milestones with someone before- first kisses, first dates, first times waking up next to each other, first introduction to family. And of all people, of course it would end up being Myoui Mina. 

"You wanna go back inside and watch something?" Nayeon suggested. Mina rolled her eyes and rose to her feet, grabbing her phone. 

"You just want those cuddles."

Nayeon shrugged as she trailed contentedly after Mina. "Guilty as charged." 

... 

"Okay, which movie do you wanna watch next, Dahyunnie?" Sana asked, pushing her hair away from her face as she examined the icons on screen. "We can choose from _Up,_ _Inside Out,_ or _The Incredibles."_

Dahyun groaned as she pushed up her shirt in an attempt to cool down her aching stomach. She knew she shouldn't have eaten so much at dinner, but it had all looked so good, and Sana looked so happy when feeding her that cake. How could she say no? But now she was regretting it. Puking in front of Sana was not something she ever intended to do. 

"Dahyunnie?" Sana looked over her shoulder, and her eyes widened at the sight. "Are you okay? Are you sick?" 

Dahyun pulled a pillow out from behind her and pressed her face into it. "I ate too much..." she mumbled. She felt the bed dip beside her, and the pillow was removed from her grip. Sana was looking down at her concernedly, her lip jutting out in an unconscious pout. If Dahyun didn't feel like such shit, she would've kissed that pout right off.

"Do you want me to grab some medicine, babe?" Sana asked quietly, gently tucking some hair behind Dahyun's ear. 

"No...don't go anywhere." Dahyun whimpered. Well this was just great. She was all set to tell Sana exactly how she felt about her, the way Jeongyeon and Tzuyu had urged her to, and she had to go and fuck it up like this. 

Sana was silent for a moment, and then she propped herself up next to Dahyun, reaching out to place her cool hand very lightly on Dahyun's stomach. Dahyun flinched, expecting it to hurt, but it felt....nice. Comforting. The tension in her gut lessened a little. 

Sana began to rub slow, gentle circles into Dahyun's skin, occasionally leaning forward to kiss Dahyun's temple. "I'm sorry you feel bad, darling." Sana whispered. Dahyun closed her eyes, all her focus narrowing down to Sana's touch and the soothing feeling it brought. She was afraid Sana would stop, but she never did, her body heat radiating out to Dahyun and comforting her. 

Sana was magic. 

"Are you falling asleep?" Sana asked softly after a few minutes, Dahyun's eyes still closed. 

"Maybe a little." Dahyun mumbled, the edge of drowsiness lurking in her mind. She tried to fight it back, afraid Sana would leave if she did. Sana hummed and pulled herself closer, laying her head next to Dahyun's and kissing her neck gently. Her hand never ceased. 

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have ate so much. Movie night is ruined." Dahyun sighed, feeling utterly ridiculous. 

"We always have tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and the next day..." Sana reminded her. Dahyun could hear the smile in her voice, and a rush of affection surged up in her chest. 

_I think I love you, Sana._

The words were settled under Dahyun's tongue, ready to be released into the world, and her heart was urging her to let them loose, but.....this wasn't the moment. Not when she still was afraid she might throw up on Sana's side of the bed. And, she wasn't quite ready to break the peacefulness of the moment. 

"That sounds good to me." Dahyun said quietly, opening her eyes and looking over at Sana, whose own eyes were closed now. She pressed a kiss to Sana's forehead and laid back against the pillows. 

_I'll have the courage to tell you some day._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh oblivious Dahyun, welcome back, I missed you.  
> I wonder how long Sana and Dahyun can go without telling each other they're both in love? 5 states? 10 states? 
> 
> This is one of the most interesting legends I did research on, because only part of it is a legend. It really is an unsolved mystery, and I'm still curious about what could have been. 
> 
> (Next fic with Twice as detectives? Hmmm) 
> 
> Next stop is Kansas


End file.
